Fighting for You
by jennibare
Summary: COMPLETE! Katara is the Princess of the SWT. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Fighting for You**

**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**

**Rating: PG17/M**

**Warnings: Language (lots of language), violence, some citrus later on, modern AU**

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se with her brother and father. Zuko, the banished son of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, fights to get rid of the demons in his past and to supplement his income as a waiter at Uncle's tea shop. Katara takes a financial interest in Zuko's abilities and together they go far in the world of MMA getting closer **** physically along the way ****as they realize how alike they really are. All that attention brings back Zuko's past in a very bad way. Little do they know that messing with those that Katara loves is a very bad idea.**

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Chapter 1**

"Porn!" Sokka shouted out, perhaps a bit more enthusiastically than he should have given they were at the breakfast table. Katara nearly spewed a mouthful of coffee all over her cell phone. Their father, Hakoda Kuruk, dropped the paper low enough so that his blue eyes could question his son.

"We've talked about this, son. It's too expensive to maintain, and it's just… messy."

Both siblings had to giggle at their father's choice of words. "Yeah but it's the most profitable," Sokka tried to defend.

"Sokka, we're not going in to the porn business. We'll keep it as a thought but good effort." Katara hardly lifted her eyes from the screen of her phone, her fingers flying over the little keyboard. It was times like these that made her wonder who the younger sibling really was. "Jet's been talking about some guy at his gym who fights. Says he's small time now but with a few more wins under his belt he'll be a hot commodity."

Sokka spoke through a mouthful of eggs, "Who?"

"Hold on." A few quick types on her phone and she had the answer. "Zuko Long?"

"Oh, yeah! I've seen him a few times. He's _really_ good," Sokka confirmed.

Hakoda set down the paper and crossed his legs contemplating his two children. Looking at him no one would ever think that Hakoda, a solidly built man of 43 years with piercing blue eyes and a smile that would melt the ice caps of their homeland, was the head of the SWT, an organized crime syndicate from the Water Tribes of the south. They were a small, yet powerful branch off The Tribe, their brothers from the north who were more old-fashioned in their dealings. He and his family resided in the great Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se and running a good portion of the city. The SWT had been accused of a whole laundry list of crimes from illegal arms trades, drug smuggling, and other capital gains to murder, extortion, and bombings. Of course they were excellent at covering their tracks so charges were typically reduced to some petty trumped up charge or flat out dismissed. Of course it certainly helped that Sokka was romantically involved with the head of the regional police, a lovely girl named Suki.

His son, Sokka, now 25, had a brilliant head for planning, strategy, and invention and had made Dean's List every semester while attending Ba Sing Se University of Technology even graduating a year and half earlier than expected. He had the charm of a teddy bear with the ladies, yet a total lack of desire to be a leader, preferring to be behind the scenes.

His daughter on the other hand, 24-year-old Katara, was as beautiful as she was deadly. As much as he had wanted her to be a proper Tribe woman- docile, pretty, subservient to the men- he learned early on that was not in the cards for her. She was most certainly pretty. How many punk boys had he wanted to take out back and castrate for just looking at her the way they did? But docile not even close. Subservient- never. Unlike other fathers in their misogynistic social circles, he encouraged and helped her develop those skills. Then he discovered she could bend water when she was eight and it was all over. There were none like her in their organization, in the Northern Tribe certainly, but not in theirs and she was would be an asset. She could charm a snake out of its skin. Bat her lashes prettily at a snitch while putting a bullet in their brain. She could manipulate and delegate with the best of them. She was the perfect person for taking over when it came time for him to retire. It was just a shame that she was a girl.

"We've never promoted people before, why start now?" Hakoda inquired only semi-interested in the conversation.

"Dad, the Dai Li are putting a lot of heat on the, uh, imports and I think it would be in our best interest to perhaps have a least a few more things that look legit." Sokka rested his forearms on the table and looked earnestly at his father. "Plus, if things go right, we can skim off the top of the winnings a heck of a lot easier this way."

Hakoda mulled it over for a moment knowing full well his son wouldn't mention it if he hadn't already had everything planned out. Sokka always planned.

"Fine. See what you can find out about this guy. I don't want to be throwing money at a bad investment." Hakoda rose from his seat, kissed the top of his daughter's head, and left for one of the endless meetings with his second in command leaving this new business venture in his children's very capable hands.

OooOooO

"So listen," Jet began, watching Zuko alternate between kicks and punches against the heavy bag. "I've been talking to Katara-"

"Who?" Zuko panted. It was stifling hot that morning in the gym. The lone oscillating fan in the corner not doing much good and the windows barely opened to allow in the outside breeze. He had already been here for three hours training for tomorrow night's fight and the layer of sweat clung to him like a second skin. He was half-tempted to end the cardio and go hit the weights.

"Hands up. You keep dropping them after you land. Keep your hands up. Protect that pretty face," Jet critiqued loudly getting a frustrated grunt, then continuing from earlier. "Katara. The brunette who comes in time to time. Gorgeous tits. Tight ass. Perfect 'blow me' lips. You've seen her. Anyways, not the point. I've been telling her about you."

Zuko's gloved hands stilled on the bag long enough to take a breather then continued. "About what?"

"About what a fantastic fucking fighter you are and how with a little investment into your future you could be making bank."

Zuko took a step back and brushed a strand of hair from his forehead with his forearm then returned to pounding away at the heavy bag. "Why would she care?"

Jet pulled the toothpick from his mouth and pointed it at Zuko, "Because, my friend, she's fucking loaded. She's got more money than King Kuei and she could help sponsor you so you can get out of this shithole and start playing with the big dogs."

"I don't need help." Each word punctuated with a heavy jab against the bag. He had never asked for help before and he sure as hell wasn't starting now.

Jet stepped forward stopping Zuko mid-punch, his normally sarcastic expression was replaced with concern over his friend. The pair had met at Zuko's uncle's tea shop when they were both 16 and they had quickly become good friends. They had gone through a lot together over the past ten years from stupid kid stuff to the major adult issues. Knowing Zuko had needed quick (and legal) money a couple years back Jet had gotten him into the fighting scene. It had taken time to simmer down and to realize it was more strategy that beating the crap out of his opponent that Zuko was rose in the ranks of the amateur circuit quicker than either of them imagined. What Zuko really needed, unfortunately Jet couldn't provide.

"Zuko, don't BS me, man. I know why you do this shit and it's not because you _like_ hurting people. You need the money and she's got it. She's coming to tomorrow night's match to see you for herself then she'll decide whether to take you on."

"I don't need the help," Zuko repeated, roughly pulling the gloves off and tossing them over his shoulder then ripping away the tape from his palms. He downed the contents of the water bottle and together they made their way to the locker room.

"Tough. She's coming tomorrow night," throwing a towel at Zuko, "and you're gonna win like you always do and she's going to make you a deal. And," Jet pursed his lips together, "You'd be a fucking idiot to tell her no."

Zuko sized up the words trying to get a read on what that meant and frankly he didn't really care. As long as he won, as long as he earned that extra money each week, none of it mattered. What mattered was what was at home waiting for him.

OooOooO

"Damn girl," Jet leered appreciatively at Katara as she exited the luxury sports car giving Jet a nice view of sinful length of her legs. Gripping her hand in his, he helped her out of the vehicle as her brother exited the other side. "How am I supposed to watch out for my buddy when you look like that?"

Katara gave a playful shove against his chest, smiling smugly at Jet offering her cheek to kiss. Unable to help himself, Jet brushed her long brown waves from her shoulder then lowered his hand to gently graze her ass. His mouth lowered to kiss the spot between the strap of the metallic blue dress and her neck but was immediately interrupted by a slap to the back of the head from her brother. "Don't feel up my sister while I'm right here, man."

"Sokka relax," Katara chided, slipping her arm into Jet's elbow, beaming at both men, trying to distract both. "We're going to be late."

Katara could practically hear Sokka growling behind her as they made their way to the small stadium. Her father and brother disapproved of Jet immensely, citing his shady origins and even shadier dealings. Katara of course had to remind them that Jet had proven repeatedly his loyalty to their organization and his "shady dealings" had brought them a lot of money and had helped them get a foothold in Ba Sing Se.

As they approached the arena, Katara soon realized that this wasn't the big time events she was used to attending. She was horribly overdressed compared to the shoddy attire the rest of the crowd wore. The way Sokka shifted in his expensive suit as they waited told Katara he felt the same way. The few odd looks they received didn't help any and she cautiously noted the few glances from those who recognized the siblings.

Jet however was oblivious to the awkwardness, dressed in a warm-up suit fitting a trainer and pseudo-manager of an amateur fighter. He nodded and waved to the guards at the entrance and led the siblings to the box seats, which were nothing more than padded metal seats that were just a little bit closer to the ring. It was pretty gross and Katara wrapped her coat a little more closely around her body when several older men began eye-balling her.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get my boy ready," Jet kissed the top of Katara's hand suavely, "I will see you later though."

Katara tilted her head and smiled, "Of course." Jet smiled back and left to wherever it was that the fighters came from. Katara had hardly a clue about fighting or the rules and regulations. She just knew to keep her eyes on Zuko, the tall guy in red shorts who would be fighting last.

As soon as Jet was out of earshot, Sokka asked, "I thought you and Jet broke up." Sokka waved down a popcorn vendor and nabbed a bag along with some gummies.

"We did," she replied casually, dipping into his popcorn bag.

He swatted away her hand but she still managed to take a handful and pop them in her mouth. "But you still talk to him?"

"Duh, he's my personal trainer so I can look good," she flexed her bicep and placed a hand over it as if trying to show off like a guy. "Plus he's great in the sack."

Sokka sighed heavily sliding down in his seat. "I so did not want to know that. Shh, it's starting!"

After the first event, Katara watched in amazement as the competitors brutalized each other while the crowd, including her brother who was now standing and shouting next to her, went wild. Some of the moves she tucked away in her head in case she might ever need them for future dealings gone wrong. Then the lights dimmed, the music pumped, the announcer got overly excited announcing the main event and Katara sat up straight in her seat watching Jet and his entourage approach the ring. Finally, what she came here to see.

OooOooOooO

Zuko loved this moment. The pulse of the crowd as they laughed and shouted eager to watch the two strangers kill each other. His opponent across the ring mentally challenging him, sizing him up, trying to pinpoint his weaknesses before the match even began. The feel of the open-fingered gloves itching to inflict damage. The smell of testosterone and victory. He chewed on his mouth guard only vaguely listening to Jet behind him reminding him of the basics, use his head, no bending, blah, blah, blah. He knew all this. It's what he trained for in the Agni forsaken gym.

The cutman, Smellerbee, a petite, tomboy who could beat the crap out of men three times her size, had already taken off his robe leaving him bare-chested and in the red shorts adorned with black dragons, checking and rechecking the straps of that annoying headgear required by the amateur fighting commission. Then the referee called out for the fighters in the middle of the ring. Bumping gloves they waited for the bell then it was on. All his aggression, all his rage, his anger from a lifetime of disappointment and abandonment, channeled into this moment. The opponent turned into his father, his sister, his life. He was a stand-up fighter, preferring the kicks and punches of his natural bending without adding the internal fire associated with it. The first round was always about finding weaknesses and Zuko was quick to find the other man's. Fists landed against padded jaws, legs sweeping the other man to the ground. Zuko flew to dominate over him, blow after blow landing as the man rose his arms to protect himself until the bell rang indicating the end of the round. The second round went just as quick with his competitor landing some solid blows but he was sluggish and Zuko made quick work of him. By the third, Zuko was on his bloodied and exhausted prey like a moose-lion until the other man smacked the mat hard tapping out.

Exhaling, Zuko rose from the mat looking down at the man beneath him mentally puffing out his chest in pride. He was stronger. Tougher. He'd been through worse than tonight. His father had made sure of that. After the other man was cleaned up a bit they met again in the middle, the ref grabbed both their wrists and lifted Zuko's arm in triumph to the crowd's roar of approval.

Zuko bobbed his head and smirked victoriously. He looked up from the mat to the crowd as he always did. In a sea of eyes on him, he caught hers. Blue and cunning. Coy yet bold. She stared right at him like he was hers and he almost forgot to breathe. Jet caught him in a hug and patting his back and when he looked up again, she was gone.

OooOooOooO

Katara attended three more events just to make sure that he was the real deal and that that first night wasn't some fluke. Each time she watched him win though she could already count the stacks of bills he could bring them and she beams.

It had been a hard sell getting her father to approve of sponsoring Zuko. She had done her research and had found out all sorts of juicy details about the man that if he declined could be used to "win" him. She wasn't a fan of blackmail but would use it if necessary. Having Sokka confirm that this was a win-win situation certainly helped

The heels of her Manolos clicked against the hard cement as she made her way to the locker room where the star should be. The security guard outside the door instantly recognizes who she is and allows her to enter the locker room much to the dismay of the throng of girls waiting to catch a glimpse of Zuko Long or better yet be the one allowed inside for private time with the rising star.

Silence fills the little room, the stench of man sweat, blood, and victory overshadowing her expensive perfume. She finds him sitting on a bench, dark head down unwrapping his feet and rubbing just above his ankle where he had taken a hefty blow earlier.

"I have a proposition for you." she begins. The way her arms are crossed in front of her chest amplifies the swell of her breasts beneath the dress that surely cost more than his monthly rent and Zuko smirked to himself knowing full well what she's propositioning. He glanced up at her then stood and sauntered over to the sink where he began treating a cut on his lip. "You can just turn around on those expensive 'fuck me' shoes of yours and wait outside like the rest of the ladies out there."

Katara blustered for a moment, unbelieving what he just said to her. "Excuse me?"

He turned to face her leaning back on the sink and folding his arms across his still bare chest an empty look in his golden eyes. "That's what you're propositioning, right? You want me to sign your tits, I get to feel you up, and then you drop to your knees and give me head." To Katara this sounded as routine as saying "I'm going to store to buy milk" and frankly she was disgusted. She growled in disgust that he could possibly think she was one of "those" girls. But if that's what he thought then why not use that to her advantage.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" she breathed, sliding up close to him. She caught the hitch in his breath and thought smugly, _still got it_.

He caught her eyes and recognized them from a couple weeks ago. "Should I?"

She smiled brightly as she ran a finger up his bare chest, noticing the bruises already forming, his eyes following her finger. "I'm someone who can help you."

"No thanks." He gripped her hand and pushed it off his chest, watching her eyebrows furrow in displeasure.

"That's not what Jet said."

"Jet?" Katara watched the wheels click in his head. "Oh, you're his girl, right?"

She laughed, eyebrow lifting. "More like he's my boy, but that's not the point. I saw you out there and you fight very well. Or so everyone says." She turned and walked over to the bench giving a nice sway of her backside in the tight dress that Zuko couldn't help but appreciate. Delicately placing herself on the edge, she crossed her legs, giving a purposeful little display in the process. "How much do you make here?"

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck thinking. "I don't know. Maybe 50 silver for each win, about 20 for a loss. Give or take."

"Well that seems like so little for what you do."

"It's enough." Grabbing the shirt that laid next to his bag, he yanked it over his head. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get home."

"I'm offering to promote you. You've done about all you can in these rankings I'm told. With my connections I can get you out of here. Surely Jet has talked to you about this?" She was going to beat him if he hadn't. Jet had promised her that he would convince this Zuko person and it would be unwise to break a promise to her.

He stared at her for a moment then let his eyes slip away. "Yeah. He did."

"And?"

"And I need time to think about it."

She frowned for a brief moment unaccustomed to being told no. "You have till Wednesday to decide. I expect a yes." She pressed a business card in his palm sliding her nails against his skin then brushed past him leaving her perfume lingering after her.

"Fuck," he breathed as the door slammed behind her staring down at his hand. What was he getting himself into?

OooOooOooO

At Jet's apartment later that night making out like two teenagers on his couch, Katara frowned at her favorite shoes that dangled precariously off a pedicured toe. "Are these really "fuck me" shoes?"

Jet took her foot in his hand tugging the four inch heels off her and rubbed along the instep, then brought the foot to his lips, tossing the expensive shoe over his shoulder. "Well, I don't know who said that, but they sure as hell make me want to do despicably naughty things to you." Katara could only laugh as he in fact did despicably naughty things to her much to her delight before she redressed several hours later.

"Stay with me." He didn't even bother hiding his nudity as he reached for her across his bed.

"I have an important meeting in the morning." She replied, then lifted her hair and turned around wordlessly demanding that he zip up the back of her dress.

"You talk to Zuko?" He attempted to kiss her neck after getting the zipper. She ducked away knowing full well that if he continued she would never leave.

"Yes. I'm giving him a few days to think." Slipping on her coat, she leaned down to give him one last kiss and tapped him lightly on the nose. "Bring him to the club at 9. I expect a yes from him."

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_AN: this is a little story that's been playing in my head for a while now. What'dya think? Should I continue or quit while I'm ahead?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Language, some violence, some citrus, modern AU**

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.

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**Ch 2:**

The blow to the back of his ankle hurt more than he expected as he limped his way up the three flights of stairs to his shabby one-bedroom apartment in the heart of the area of Ba Sing Se called the Lower Ring. Entering the apartment he found the television casting an ethereal glow on Uncle snoring loudly in the recliner. It was unseasonably hot and the ceiling fan only helped cool down the room so much. The colorful tattoos peaked out at the edges of Iroh's open button-down shirt, a grim reminder of who they were and where they came from.

Zuko leaned over and placed a hand on Uncle's arm shaking gently. "Uncle?" Iroh jerked and snorted, turning his head to the other side. "Uncle. I'm home." It was no use. The old man was out, so Zuko pulled the thin blanket up tucking him in. Zuko then turned and headed to the single bedroom. The lamp on the dresser illuminated her pale skin like the petite angel that she was. He knelt down next to the mattress on the floor and tenderly brushed back a stray lock of her black hair. "Hey, Princess." He hadn't meant to wake her up but her eyes fluttered open regardless.

"Hi, Daddy!" Her sleepy smile brightening his day, or rather his night. "Did you win?"

"Yup." Zuko rearranged the Disney princess comforter to cover Liang better, then dislodged the stuffed otter-penguin from the crack between the bed and the wall tucking it under the covers next to her.

"Cool." Her smile flipped downward. That little frown clenched his heart and her finger landing lightly on his cut lip broke it. "Why do you get hurt?"

Regardless of how many times he had been asked that he could never answer her so instead smiled and brushed his hand against her forehead one last time then planted a kiss where his fingers had just been. "It's late. Go back to sleep." Liang smiled again, murmuring an "I love you, Daddy," and snuggled back down into the pillows hugging the stuffed animal tight. Closing the door softly behind him called out, "I love you too."

Not the best choice of a post-fight beverage, he grabbed two beers from the fridge and leaned against the counter. Pressing the ice cold bottle against the bruise he could feel already forming on his cheek he cursed the headgear that did nothing to protect that area of his face. Zuko popped the cap on the other one and downing it quickly then grabbing another to enjoy on the fire escape. The strip of metal that made up the escape was rusted and honestly it scared him that it would collapse at any moment, the scum lord too cheap and lazy to fix the bloody thing. But it was cooler outside than inside making it too tempting not to risk sitting out on the ledge. Taking a long swig of the fresh beer, he let the noise of their neighborhood saturate his mind.

Agni! He hated it here. They lived in the cesspool that made up the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se where poverty and crime ran rampant. Every night they fell asleep to the sounds of police sirens or ambulances, the crash of broken bottles and vulgar shouts as drunks fought each other on the streets below, hungry babies crying for food that would never come and parents just as hungry screaming for the sweet relief found in a bottle or a syringe. He hated it here. What he hated even more was having to raise his daughter here.

It was a far cry from his own upbringing back in the Fire Nation capital. He was raised in opulent terror. A father, who ran the criminal organization filled with firebenders known throughout the world as The Nation, whose lust for power blinded him from anything but. A mother, obedient to her husband yet fearful in her own right, raised her son in her image much to his father's dismay. Seeing his wife's weakness, Ozai raised his younger sister to be as deadly and precise as himself. Both children were raised to believe that everything was theirs for the taking. It fed their egos and disillusions when grown men would bow to the young children, eager to provide for their every whim in hopes that by pleasing the siblings they would please the father in turn raising themselves up in the hierarchy of the organization. It was a twisted game they all played. Spoiled and outspoken, not a good combination when business matters were to be attended to, a 13-year-old Zuko, finally ripe for meetings with the higher ups, shamed himself by speaking out against one of his father's plans and, too young and too influential to have a bullet put in his brain, he was sent away but not before leaving the mark on his face as a symbol of his shame- across the eye to blind his arrogance, across the ear to deafen his pride.

Just as Iroh, his father's older brother, was Zuko's salvation, the same could be said of Zuko in Iroh's life. Following the murder of his only son, Iroh had sunk low seeking refuge in drinking and gambling, reduced to half of the powerful man he had been back home. Iroh had told him once that if not for him in his life, he would surely have drunk himself to death. They lived humbly and simply yet it wasn't enough for Zuko especially after his daughter was born.

It had been his senior year of high school when he had met Jin. She was sexy and sweet and made her interest in him painfully obvious. Jet had warned him though. "Don't get involved with her, man." Zuko took it as Jet's jealousy since he was the one who always got the girl while Zuko had to watch from the sidelines always painfully aware of the odd looks he received from the opposite sex thanks to the mark across his left eye. What should have been one night stand had turned into a frantic call over a year later stating she couldn't do this anymore and that she was leaving. He heard his daughter, not quite four months old, screaming in the background. Racing home, Jin had left the note saying she was sorry with Liang burning with a fever in her crib. She was gone, unable to take the responsibility she had never wanted. She constantly reminded him she never wanted to be a mother. How many screaming matches had they gotten into because of it? So there he was a single dad at the ripe old age of 19. That was seven years ago and it had been tough go and frankly he wouldn't have been able to go through any of it without Uncle's support. He loved his daughter more than anything. That's why he fought, so he could get them out of this hell.

He dug the business card from his sweatpants pocket staring at the name and number that could change his life.

Or so she said. He had been burned by women before and was always on guard.

Behind him, he heard Iroh rustling around. "I thought I heard you," Iroh yawned stretching his old joints out then folding the blanket and placing it on the arm of the futon. "How did it go?" Zuko knew that Iroh didn't approve of him fighting and his tone was a clear indication.

"I won." Iroh simply grunted in acknowledgement leaning against the window's opening to join his nephew.

They sat in companionable silence for a moment. The conversation, the advice he desperately needed, floating in his head until finally they blurted out. "So this lady stopped by after the match and offered me a deal." He flipped the card between his fingers finally offering it out for Iroh to inspect. Worry plastered across his wizened old face as Iroh read the name. "Katara Kuruk? Of the Tribe?" Iroh's frown did not bode well.

"Well, I'm not sure about that part but…" Iroh cut Zuko off, the card shredded to bits and tossed in the garbage can. "Stay away from her."

"Why?" Zuko scowled back at his uncle lifting a leg to crawl back through the window. Iroh had already scooped up his coat and was preparing to leave, his babysitting duty over. He pointed a chubby finger at his nephew, "Because if you know what's good for you, you will stay away."

"She offered me a lot of money." Zuko dropped his head, not saying things that didn't need to be said. "I never asked for the help, but Jet said-"

"Hmph! Jet's part of this? Figures." Iroh groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What's the catch?"

Zuko told Iroh as much as he knew going into as much detail as he could. Granted half of it was out his understanding of the game. As far as he was concerned he just had to get in the ring, beat his opponent, and then he'd get paid. Easy enough.

Iroh contemplated all this. "Do they know who you really are?"

Fishing a Barbie doll left in the couch cushion Zuko scowled at what Iroh spoke of. "No. At least I don't think so. I figured if they did know offering me deals wouldn't be part of the conversation." Given the negative relations their two factions had in the past, a bullet in his head would probably more in line with whatever negotiations they had in story, if she was in fact associated with The Tribe.

With another heavy sigh, Iroh nodded. He knew Zuko had made up his mind and there was no stopping the boy now.

OoooOoooO

Zuko was exhausted from the night before and the familiar pain was seeping in (the threadbare futon didn't help any either) but duty called and breakfast needed to be made. While scrambling the eggs and tending the bacon, Liang chatted on and on about this and that. She was a lot like her mother like that. He enjoyed her conversations though. Liang helped clear the table then bounced away to her bedroom to get out of her pajamas. There was a knock on the door, elbow deep in dirty dishes Zuko heard Liang loudly announce from hallway that she would get it.

"Hi Uncle Jet!" she squealed, wrapping her little arms around him.

"Hey there, kiddo. Where's your dad?" Jet rounded the corner and instantly taunted his domesticated best friend. He nabbed a strip of bacon left over on the plate. "Oh, honey, you shouldn't have."

"Uncle Jet, you're silly," Liang giggled, "See what I did in school this week?" She brought out page after page of drawings and writings. Zuko noticed a tinge of pride in his friend's expression. Hell, the kid was as much Jet's as she was his. When Jin had run off, along with Uncle Iroh Jet had been right there to help him out.

"That's awesome, kiddo. Hey, can you go in your bedroom so I talk to your dad?" Zuko had set down a mug of coffee in front of Jet and slid into the seat across from him.

Liang frowned a bit, "Okay." She slunk to her room closing the door behind her. Once she was out of earshot, Jet pulled an envelope from his jacket passing it to Zuko. Zuko thumbed through the bills within noting there was three times more there than normal. Jet caught that. "Looks like Katara negotiated a bit. Got you a little something extra. She must like you."

Opening a kitchen cabinet door, Zuko slid the envelope in the lock box. "I guess."

"She suck you off?" Jet's brown eyes darkened just so and Zuko knew that look. Even after all this time he was appalled that he could think something like that. "Where did that come from?"

Jet laughed tightly, "I mean, I don't really care. She's not my girlfriend or anything and Lord knows I've been with other chicks." Jet's voice trailed off.

"No, man. She talked to me and that was it."

"And you're gonna do it right?" Jet prompted, snagging another slice of bacon.

"I don't know. I mean, it'd be a good thing, right?"

"She hooks you up with good venues, you win, and you get money and get the hell out of here. Hopefully getting a nice piece of ass to go with it. Seems simple enough to me."

The thought lingered in his mouth not wanting to say them until finally they slipped out. "So what do you get out of this?" Zuko questioned.

Jet took a long swig from the coffee mug. "What do you mean?"

"What do you get out it?" he repeated. "I mean you're already sleeping with her, so it can't be that. More money? Fame?"

Jet snorted in disgust staring intently into the coffee mug. "Did you ever think that maybe I hate living here and would like something better? You think I like working at the scummy gym with these low lives- no offense? That I like scraping by, doing shit jobs for shit pay. This is a great opportunity for both of us. Plus we take Smellerbee and Longshot with us. You know she's pregnant, right?"

"I thought she was, you know."

"Lesbo? Hell no. That girl's a freak and Longshot's the lucky bastard who gets to hit that. It'd be good for them too." Jet's voice softening at the mention of his two other best friends who had been romantically involved for as long as he knew them. Being an orphan himself he had a soft spot for kids, so long as he didn't create them of course.

Zuko lifted his coffee mug and toasted to the soon to be parents, "Well then, I guess I have no choice."

Jet laughed and clapped a still apprehensive Zuko on the back. "We're gonna fucking rock their world, my friend."

OooOooOooO

"Welcome! I'm so glad you decided to come!" Katara smiled brightly, hugging Jet lightly offering her cheek to politely peck not once sloshing the cosmopolitan in her hand. Zuko had to bite back that feeling of how far he had sunk over the years seeing her in the designer dress comparing it to his second hand dress pants and black shirt that she looked up and down with a flash of pity for him. Fashion was not a priority for him. Making sure his kid ate at night and had a good coat for the cold mornings was a bit more important.

Zuko sat tensely across from Katara. Jet lazily hung his arm over her shoulder which got him a death glare so wisely he moved it. He started to speak but Katara was in no mood for small talk. She was all business tonight. Hopefully these negotiations would go smoother than her ones from earlier in the week. She always hated when grown men groveled and cried during said negotiations, simply forcing her to have to cut off an appendage or slide an icicle through an organ to get her way. It was messy and a pain in the ass, making for a very grumpy waterbender.

"Leave us," she demanded, waving away her lover. Jet started to open his mouth but the look from Katara promptly made it close and he slid away from the pair to the bar. "Do we have a deal?"

"I'm not sure about it just yet. I had some questions about how it would work."

She sighed heavily. _Shit! Another indecisive man._ In a room full of witnesses, she'd have to use her verbal skills.

She nodded her head out to the dance floor. "Lots of beautiful women here, huh?" Batting her eyelashes at him, she crept over to sit next to him. Her dress had hitched up just inches from the expensive panties she wore underneath. Her head tilted just so, her full lips glossy and sexy, her fingers tracing along her upper thigh. "You see those girls over there?"

"Yeah," his eyes followed hers to where a group of three young women stood huddled together, staring at him, giggling and licking their lips.

"They want you." The sexual signals they were throwing his way were hard not to miss but as always Zuko never believed they were for him. "No they don't."

"You're an idiot. Of course they do."

Unconsciously, he rubbed the edge of the scar and she picked up on that. "Girls like scars. It brings out the whole mothering instinct. You know, where they want to take care of you. Kiss you and make you all better." Katara smiled again, leaning in close. He caught a whiff of her perfume, that same one from before, and damn she smelled incredible. "Then just think that when you sign up with us you'll have lots of those girls begging you to take them home with you. You can get laid as often as you can keep it up."

Zuko coughed and turned his head away. It had been a while since he'd last been with someone like that but his daughter was his priority, not some floozy looking to make it with some fighter.

Katara recognized that her tactic wasn't working. _Obviously not a sex-fiend like Jet. Good to know._ "I know how hard it must be." His head jerked back to look at her. Her tone of seduction replaced with compassion. "All alone and with a little girl to take care of. It must be so hard."

"How… how did you know about her?" he flinched, eyes narrowing angrily. When it came to this world of fighting, he had been meticulous about keeping that information out. It wasn't anyone's damn business.

"Oh, I know all kinds of things," she picked up her martini glass and took a delicate sip, swirling the liquid inside. She narrowed her eyes at the glass, her expression hardening. "Zuko, prince of The Nation. Banished son. Single father. I even heard there is a contract back home for you. Something about disrespecting the elders and they don't take that kind of thing lightly over there. What'd you do, huh?"

Zuko fumed. No one here knew any of that. He kept his mouth shut so well. It must have been Jet. She must have fucked the information from him.

"So here's the thing, _Zuko_," Katara tapped his chest lightly, "You say yes to me. We invest in you, better training, better venues, better payouts, and such, and you win for us, for your daughter. Or else I tell some very important people where the banished Prince is."

"You're blackmailing me?"

Katara gasped, feigning innocence. "No, no, no. Negotiating. I give, you get. It's simple really. So just say yes, sign some papers, then go out onto that the little group over there, pick one out, hell, take all three home, get laid, and then tomorrow begin your new life." She held out her hand and Zuko took it. She smiled brightly again then motioned for the waitress to bring two of something. Within moments the two shot glasses sat before them. "I've heard that your family does this," she said lifting her glass motioning for him to do the same. "We also drink to seal the deal. To a profitable partnership!"

They both downed the shot and while Katara beamed at her business deal, Zuko got a bad feeling deep in his gut.

* * *

**_Did that help answer some questions? Hopefully it wasn't too much backstory so soon. Ugh.  
_**

**_I'm glad though that folks are liking this one. It's been picking my brain for far too long. _**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Language, some violence, some citrus, modern AU**

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.**

**

* * *

Ch 3:**

Silly, stubborn man. Still saying no. Katara was starting to lose her patience. Sweeping her arm above her head with great flair she reached around her and felt the concentration of water in the heads in the small backroom of the merchant's shop. She tugged on them to make sure they were in her grasp making an overly dramatic display of her power to the man sitting meekly in the chair. He watched in horror as she clinched her fingers and, with a sickening crunch, one of the heads imploded in on itself. A nasty mess for someone else to clean once they were done here. Tears poured from his eyes, head shaking back and forth in disbelief that she could be so cruel.

"So?" she asked. He remained speechless aside from blubbering like a simpleton reaching out for her to stop, to save them, so she crushed a few more. It was only after the twentieth one that he cried out flying out of the chair to clutch at the remains littering the floor. "My cabbages! Please! Stop! I'll pay. I'll pay."

"Good man," Katara smiled then glanced down at the diamond encrusted watch on her wrist, "That took longer than I expected and I'm going to be late. It was lovely doing business with you." She nodded to her tall, well-built companion, "Bring the money to the office when you're done here." She left the poor man sniffling on hands and knees lifting the remains of his demolished cabbages. Katara hadn't destroyed all of them knowing he couldn't pay them if he had no product to sell.

Exiting the building, she slipped into the Lexus that waited for her and silently motioned for the driver to take her to her next appointment. Her body vibrated with her success like a good deal always did. She was needy and called the first person she could think of. No answer. She certainly hoped that he was at the gym like he said he would be and couldn't get to his phone, otherwise, well, she didn't want to think about that. Tucking away the greedy feeling for later, she scrolled through several emails and texts on her phone, only responding to those that were either urgent or interested her, finally dialing her brother. Answering on the third ring, she questioned how the arrangements for her new acquisition's first match were going. From the giddy way he proceeded to list off numbers and averages and a slew of other things that Katara had no interest in, she could tell it would be profitable indeed. _If_ he won.

That is of course why she was headed to their new gym to get a first look at Zuko. An exclusive establishment with all the high tech equipment and trainers with extensive backgrounds in the field, it was the perfect place to properly condition him to this highly competitive sport. It was run by the reigning female fighting champion: Toph Bei Fong, a child of wealth who found freedom in the ring. She hadn't been happy about the taking on a new person especially with the rag tag group he brought with him, but between Sokka's charm and the promise of a good cut of the profits she agreed to train Zuko and his companions.

The drive there had been quicker than she thought and soon enough the driver was pulling up next to the entrance opening the glass door for her. Despite the stench of sweat, it was quite pleasant inside. It was certainly louder than she expected as weights being lifted and lowered clanked loudly onto the racks mixed with grunts of exertion, padded fists striking defenseless bags, shouts from trainers "encouraging" their trainees, and the slap of running shoes on treadmills or the whip of a jump rope.

Lifting her sunglasses onto her head, she found Jet and a petite woman dressed in baggy camouflage shorts and a tight green top, black hair cut pixie-style in the back by one of the three practice rings available. Katara could only assume this was the infamous Toph Bei Fong.

Making her way across the gym Katara ignored the unabashed stares of the men, elbowing Jet in the side to announce her presence then nodded her head to the ring and asked how Zuko was doing. Zuko and another man were in the training ring circling and testing and swatting until Zuko was pinned underneath, those strong legs of his kicking at the mat trying to gain leverage to get out. It was strangely erotic watching the two men grapple each other, especially since it seemed as though Zuko was not in his comfort zone being beneath the other man, panting and grunting in his failed attempts to get out from under. _Understandable._ She preferred being on top too. Her body must have still been needy because before she could stop them thoughts of Zuko writhing underneath her suddenly popped into her brain. Panting and grunting and sweaty, reaching for her, moaning her name. _Whoa, girl!_ Katara caught her shiver and kicked herself for thinking that way. He was her property, nothing more. She glanced up to Jet and gave him that smile he knew all too well.

Jet started to say something but was interrupted by the other woman slapping the mat roughly then shouting as she ducked between the ropes to enter the ring, "Get up, you fucking pussy! Don't let him on you like that! You gotta…" Katara zoned out from Toph's rant admiring the way Zuko's sleeveless shirt emphasized his arms nicely, then when he started retying the strings of the shorts lifting up his shirt just so that she could see those tight abs and the fine trail of hair and the way they hung just so off his hips. Objectifying her new source of financial income was not the smartest idea but damn if he wasn't hot when it came right down to it.

She had to blink back the dirty thoughts that flooded her brain when Jet leaned down to her ear. "That Toph chick is pretty hardcore." This was painfully obvious with the barrage of verbal abuse she unleashed on Zuko who simply argued back until there seemed to be a stalemate. Still fuming Toph turned her wrath on Jet. "I don't know what the hell kind of shit training program you did with this boy but it was worthless! He needs more ground work. Did you forget to train him in that or where you too busy blowing each other?" After berating Jet for a moment, she noticed finally Katara. "Who the hell are you?"

Holding out her hand Katara introduced herself with her trademark smile. Toph merely grunted at the pretty manicured hand, turning back to the two men in the ring. "Again!" Katara bristled at the brush-off but let it slide until she was told to leave.

"Why?" Katara demanded impatiently.

"Because, Sweetness, it's hard to properly train when they're all mentally fucking you." Toph snorted nodding her head towards the dozens of eyes that zeroed in on the tight blue cashmere sweater, cream colored pencil skirt, and heels that highlighted and enhanced every bit of her ample physique.

Jet laughed, agreeing with Ms. Bei Fong, and lead Katara to the office where they could talk without prying eyes. Sitting on the edge of the desk Katara leaned enticingly back passing on the information from Sokka about Zuko's first event then questioned Jet about if he would be ready. He simply shrugged, uncrossing her legs so he could stand between them grabbing her ass to pull her close. "He'll be ready. It's a lot of work but my man is a fighter. That's why he's done so well."

Katara wiggled against his body, fingers unzipping his jeans and dipping inside, her energy from earlier returning with a vengeance. "But this isn't the amateurs anymore. This is for real. If I lose money on h- oh!" His lips found the little spot under her ear that always made her knees weak.

"You worry too much," Jet sighed against her ear, bunching up the front of her skirt to get to his favorite place, already sliding the silk panties to the side.

Legs wrapped around his lean hips, heels digging into the small of his back pulling him in as he rocked upward. "(Ah!) I worry because you don't. (Oh gods! Oh!)"

"Hey, I worry. (holy shit, you're so wet) Zuko's a good guy and he'll be ready. Trust me."

"(Right there. Right there. Right there! Ah!) He better be. (Fuuuck!) What does Toph say about him?"

"His basics are fine, (mnuh) you heard her about the ground work, (oh shit!) but that'll come (oh, baby, you feel so good) in time. He's got (ugh) ten more weeks, right?" The thought of the ground work reminded Katara of her earlier thoughts of that golden-eyed man sending her to the brink.

"Yeah (uh!), that what Sokka said. (Harder. Give it. Yesss!)"

Everything stopped as her body shuttered, eyes shut tight envisioning that it was gold eyes rather than brown watching her peak, and he pulsed hot and hard inside her hanging onto each other to keep from falling backwards onto the top of the desk. Ah! That was exactly what she needed. She slipped out from under him nearly sending him headfirst into the desk to readjust her clothing while he wrapped the condom in a tissue depositing in the trash can. Jet leaned against the desk, reversing their positions from earlier with that smug post-coital expression that annoyed the hell of Katara. _You'd think he just cured cancer. _

Wiggling back into the shoe that fell off, Katara glanced down at her watch. "Keep me updated on his progress. You'll be here all day, right? I'll have Sokka stop by later with some paperwork he needs Zuko to fill out." She left without a kiss or further words leaving a slightly dejected Jet in her wake. She had more important things to do that stroke his ego.

OooOooO

The next ten weeks were brutal. The three hours under Jet's tutelage had been escalated to nearly twelve hours a day six days a week. Tons of cardio for endurance, ground work to desperately improve his mat skills, weight training for strength, even yoga for flexibility and appointments with a massage therapist for good measure. As the day of the fight loomed overhead, Toph worked him harder and harder so that he "wouldn't make her look bad." It felt like the only time he got to see his Liang was on Sundays, his one day off each week, and he was so drained that he felt that his presence didn't make much difference to her.

"Its okay, Daddy," she claimed, her toothy smile trying hard to prove to him she wasn't lying. "I understand."

Zuko opened his arms in invitation to which she gladly took snuggling into him. "I'm sorry I'm not home as much anymore. It's just… this is going to give us a better life. I promise you."

Liang beamed. "I know. Miss Katara said that too." Zuko stiffened. When had she spoken to his daughter? Seeing his confusion, she answered, "She picked me up from school a couple weeks ago. Then took me shopping. She said my coat had a hole in it which I don't think it did but then I looked and there was and then she said why we're here we might as well get some pants and skirts and shoes. It was like one of those shopping sprees on TV! She's really nice, Daddy. She didn't haf'ta do that but she did." Zuko hadn't even noticed the new outfit she was wearing or the new dolls she played with. He'd been so focused on training that he failed to notice that. What kind of father was he?

"Liang, I don't want you to hang out with her," even he heard the weariness in his voice.

"But she's nice. And I really like her." Her lowered lip wibbled just slightly.

"I know, but she…" He didn't know where to begin. Part of him still remembered her mother and the fear of Liang being left behind was more than he could take. There had been a couple others who had done the same thing, appealed by his single fatherhood then reality set in and it got too much for them. Sure, Katara was just his manager of sorts but would Liang be able to recognize that she wasn't their friend. He couldn't say Katara was bad because she wasn't, as far as he knew. The other part of him was stuck on that she was from a life that he had once lived and he'd be damned if his daughter was exposed to _that_ life. It was one thing for him to use Katara to get them out of the Lower Ring and for her to use him right back but it was quite another for her to use his family to get her clutches deeper into him. That's exactly what _they_ would have done. It was a fine line between all of it and if he could save Liang from all of the heartache he would. Finally he settled on, "She is a nice person, but I think it would be better for you not to hang out with her."

"Why?"

"Because," he bit his lip then used the old standby required by the law of parenting, "I'm your dad and I say so."

"Fine." That frown always broke his heart but he had to be firm on this. "Now how about we go see that new cartoon princess movie that's out. A Daddy-daughter date. We haven't done that in a long time. Then maybe ice cream after?"" The distraction worked wonders because her frown turned to jumping up and down in a fraction of a second flat.

Once Liang had been put to bed after a nice day together with her, he dialed her number, tapping against the kitchen counter impatiently. She barely has a moment to say hello before he started in. "My daughter tells me that you've been picking her up from school, taking her shopping, movies. Why?"

He heard her snort into the receiver, "Zuko, it's not a big deal. She needed some stuff and I happily provided it to her. I know that you've been in training so much that you haven't been able to see to her needs-"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he paced the small kitchen. "Don't pull that on me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my own kid! I've been doing it for the past seven years for Agni's sake. By myself."

He heard her bristle and could practically hear her seething. "Is it because of who I am? Are you too good, _Prince_ Zuko, that your own daughter can't be seen with me?" The accusation resonated in his ears.

"That's not what I'm saying."

"You think that you're better than me because of where you come from? That The Nation is so much better?"

"…I-"

"Hmph! You're a nobody here and you should be thanking me for giving you this chance."

"Will you shut up for a minute?" he demanded losing his patience, hearing her gasp into the phone, obviously unused to being stood up to. "I appreciate everything, believe me," he sighed heavily, the confession slipping from his lips, "I've gotten so used to doing everything on my own and it's been hard to accept the help. Okay?"

She was silent for a moment then sighed, "Well okay then. I just thought I would help. She's a good girl and I know that you've been living… modestly. It was simply easier to take her myself. Your uncle isn't necessarily the ideal candidate for shopping for a seven year old girl after all."

"No. He really isn't," Zuko agreed, voice softening. "Just next time, let me know. She's mine and I need to make sure she's okay."

Katara laughed gently, "I'm sorry. I should have let you know. I'll keep you in the loop next time. Which I suppose I should let you know that tomorrow I'm taking her to the zoo. They have a new otter-penguin exhibit and that's her favorite."

He didn't know whether to be scared that she knew that about his daughter or be appreciative. All of this was too weird. Staring up at the ceiling as he tried to let sleep take him away he wondered again what the hell he was getting into.

OooOooOooO

The atmosphere was different. More amped. The crowd rowdier. The bass of the music deeper, more primal. The smell even seemed more pungent. Smellerbee rubbed his muscles, Jet chattered, Toph argued. None of it registered. He was too focused.

The fighter seemed large despite the fact they are in the same weight class. He grinned over at Zuko from across the mat. Zuko bounces on his toes. He's ready. The bell sounds. The two men circle, tentative jabs testing the waters so to speak. Then the first blow strikes across his jaw rattling his teeth through the mouth guard. Zuko suddenly missed the protection the head gear from his amateur days had provided. He chides himself for not paying closer attention. Back and forth the two opponents swap strikes of fist and foot. Scoring was even for the first round, both men matching strike to strike. Then the other man swarms, having found Zuko's weakness, and Zuko hits the mat with a loud thud. He's on top of him striking his face, kneeing his ribs, and Zuko growls putting up his gloves to protect his face. _Fuck this! Get up! Get up! _With all his energy, Zuko spins out from underneath. Now the man that was on top is on bottom. A flurry of gloved fists land. Zuko feels the crack of the man's nose as blood spews out. His mind empties, only vaguely feeling the referee pulling him off the poor bastard beneath him. The doctor comes out to tend to man's wounds while Smellerbee checks him too. Zuko can only stare at the man finally rising from the mat looking as though he's ready to finish Zuko off.

The rest of the round was hard, the next one even more so. By the fifth round Zuko feels his energy draining but doesn't feel half as tired as the other man looks. Timing it perfectly when fists dropped after a sloppy left hook combo, Zuko lands on the man's nose again knocking him backward where he flops to the ground. Zuko waits for the count ready to strike again if he has to. _1, 2, 3, 4,…, 10!_ "Winner!" they shout as his arm is raised triumphantly. The crowd isn't as loud in their cheers only because he's still relatively unknown to them. Still though it thrums through him, a powerful aphrodisiac to this sport he loved.

Glancing across Smellerbee's shoulder into the crowd, there Katara sits. That same possessive expression, smiling at him and giving a wink. He nods his head back at her.

They'd done it. One down, eleven more to go.

OooOooOooO

Sokka popped the cork on the champagne everyone shouting out their congratulations to the winner. The club was practically taken over, between the Tribe siblings, Zuko, Jet and his crew, Toph who had brought her boyfriend Aang, a happy-go-lucky young man with a shaved head and a score of tattoos up and down his sinewy build who was a champion in the featherweight division, fans of the fighters, flashy women trying to catch the fighters' and their companions eyes. They were all caught up in the excitement of yet another win bringing Zuko's record to an impressive four wins, zero losses, and one tie. The press was already singing his praises and with the payouts getting higher, The Tribe gladly approved of their new investment, throwing more money his way via Katara who naturally skimmed off her share.

"To Zuko!" they shouted glasses lifted then thrown back. There were hugs and kisses all around, more drinks consumed, laughter and good spirited shouts and jabs thrown around as well. Katara approached Zuko wrapping her arms around his neck without even spilling her drink.

"You've done very well. I'm impressed." Her voice was barely audible between the crowd and the music. He leaned in to hear her better when she repeated herself. Lips to her ear he shouted a thanks. "I appreciate it. Really though I need to get home."

Katara frowned slightly, grabbing his arm, enjoying the firmness in her grasp then smiling brightly up at him knowing full well he was thinking of his daughter at home. "She'll be fine, Zuko." His eyes asked if she was sure and she nodded again. "Enjoy yourself. Have fun." The two chatted as best they could, mingling with the others as they made their rounds from grouping to grouping then found her private booth where they enjoyed another round of drinks. Despite it being difficult to hear him, she was enjoying his company. Most men were either scared of her was or kissed her ass because of who she was, who her family was. With Zuko however, there seemed to be none of that and that was a rare treasure. She kept pointing out various women that Zuko should try to get to which he would laugh and say things like "too short", "too skinny", "her hair is weird".

"You don't want to get laid?" Katara teased causing Zuko to blush and smile. "I'm a guy. Of course I want to get laid. I'm just… picky."

She tilted her head to get a good look at him catching his eyes. "How is it you're friends with someone like Jet?"

"Hell if I know," he laughed, taking a long drink from the beer bottle. "How is it you're sleeping with someone like him?"

"Hell if I know," she repeated, lifting her glass to tap against Zuko's. "It's one of his few redeeming qualities I suppose."

"Speaking of." Zuko nodded to the other side of the room. Jet, tall and handsome and ever so charming as always, was in the middle of the small crowd laughing and going on. He glanced up to see the pair looking at him and he lifted his drink in acknowledgement. "He's always been like that," Zuko said wistfully, picking at the label on the bottle. "Everyone loves him."

Once she felt the loneliness of Zuko's comment, Katara's heart sunk a little for him. She couldn't have her main man low like this so she knocked back the rest of her drink. "Dance with me," she ordered sliding out of the booth. "I love to dance and this beat is driving me crazy."

Katara noticed the hesitation when Zuko rose from the seat but the grip on his tie didn't give him any opportunity to back out of her request. Shimmying her hips in time to the beat she led him to the dance floor. The crowd was packed tight forcing him to be so close to her. The darkness of the floor only interrupted by the rainbow of the flashing lights. Her body pulsed to the heavy bass, her eyes half-lidded as if in the throes of passion yet daring him to touch her. His hands had no choice but to follow the curve of her waist, the small of her back. Zuko moved with her lost in the rhythm of the electronic music. His body felt so comfortingly hot next to hers, he smelled delicious a blend of cologne and his natural scent. Visions of him in the ring, bare-chested (and what a nice chest he had!) and the weeks of watching him train with such precise dedication and power that it could make any woman swoon like a school girl and La knows how many women did. Much to her surprise she had become intoxicated by him. Ducking her head to hide her smile, she licked her lips lost in this feeling. When she glanced up she met his gaze (was that desire she detected?), pressing closer to him somehow managing to lose themselves in each other.

"Hey that's my girl, asshole," they heard Jet laugh in that teasing way that only he could, pulling Katara from Zuko's grasp, wrapping his long arms possessively around her managing to smile at his friend while simultaneously telling him to back off.

She could see Zuko debate fighting for her in the end tucking tail and finding one of those girls who had been eyeballing him all night, whispering in her ear and leading her out of the club. A spark of jealousy that shouldn't have been there was. _So much for being picky_, she thought coarsely.

* * *

_Am I going too fast? I feel like I'm getting ahead of myself. y/n?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Language, some violence, some citrus, modern AU**

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.**

**Ch 4:**

It had been unexpected when Hakoda received word that The Northerners, the head branch of The Tribe and their compatriots to the north, were coming to town for a meeting. While not unusual it was definitely out of the norm. Katara had chosen charcoal grey flared trousers that barely hit the top of her Jimmy Choo's with a matching long blazer and a light blue button down shirt with the top two buttons undone to show the family necklace. Her long brown waves were pulled back into a low bun at the nape of her neck, her makeup light. While she preferred skirts, the outfit was intended to exude her power, her position in the ranks. To show the men that she too "wore the pants" in the organization. As with most Tribal dealings, it was late at night when their guests' private jet landed at Ba Sing Se's airport. Power oozes off their expensive custom-tailored suits, fine jewelry, and the elegant pieces of arm candy a few of the men choose to bring with them as they descend from the plane.

Arnook, the Chief of the Northerners is a quiet unassuming man much like Hakoda only slightly taller and thinner than his southern equal, is the first to be greeted, a formal event filled with the traditional veiled greetings in their native tongue, handshakes and kisses on cheeks, followed by Pakku, the second in command, a master waterbender and perhaps more powerful than the chief himself. Where Katara's presence is more openly accepted by Arnook, quite the opposite could be said for Pakku who outright refused her greeting. For the SWT this was unheard of. To refuse a greeting was no different than a slap in the face. And all because she was a woman. In the North rules for women were different. They were expected to stay home, raise the children, manage the house, look beautiful, and keep quiet. For Katara to be amongst them was an annoyance at best, a travesty at worst. It was a strict hierarchy and being a woman she had to fight to earn her place in it thus the harsh persona she maintained in public.

There are several others whose names Katara barely remembered but is still pleasant enough to them despite their apparent reluctance to acknowledge her as they do her father and brother. It is only when she feels her brother stiffen and mask a growl that she notices Hahn, a man-boy barely older than themselves, perfectly groomed and full of himself; a jackass to the nth degree. He is so busy flirting with one of the women who have accompanied the group to properly greet the siblings and their father as he should have. The condemnation is clear on Arnook's face over the disrespect this boy has shown their hosts, as his newly appointed successor and his only beloved daughter's husband and the father of his brand new grandson, he should know better. It is clear that his punishment will be held later in a far less public venue.

The small convoy of limos made their way through the quiet, nearly empty streets to the high rise building in the section of Ba Sing Se that belongs to The Tribe. Once inside, tea and traditional appetizers are served by the low ranking members and after pleasantries are completed Hakoda recommends that they begin what their guests are here for. The women in the room take their cue, teetering on high heels wrapping their furs coats around themselves as they pluck the champagne glasses from the tables leaving their lovers to conduct their business. However Katara remains seated and many disapproving eyes fall on her. Pakku lifts the tea cup to his mouth, blowing gently on the steam within. "Perhaps Katara would feel more comfortable with the other women outside. I'm sure she can tell them some interesting places to go shopping or go do whatever it is girls do."

The Northerners snicker, a few even gave improper cat calls to the SWT princess. If only for Sokka's hand on hers Katara would have exploded. _How dare they?_ It was her father however who spoke before his daughter could say something inappropriate to their guests. Removing his reading glasses to glare harshly at those who chose to unwisely disrespect his daughter, his voice pitched low, "Katara is fine where she is." Several snorts answered him, only a fool would have argued, and Pakku tilted his chin up giving a nod, "Indeed. Let's begin."

Bato, Hakoda's second, began detailing what was going on in the city- which government officials were on the books, which businesses were current in their payments, a recent snafu with some cargo that needed to be dealt with on the Northerners part, so on and so on. When Bato was done, Katara started about the profits they'd seen with the management of their prize fighter as well as some of her other dealings. Rather than respond to her, the questions were directed to the men sitting next to her. Again Katara wisely bit back her rage at their sexism and crisply answered their questions much to her father and brother's pride and the other men's chagrin.

Arnook had been silent through the meeting, waiting until the very end to address some rumors. "I hear reports of The Nation trying to infiltrate the city."

The SWT members glanced at each other confused. "It has been awhile since I've heard anything about them," Hakoda began. "If I recall there were several attempts- what three years ago? - by some low level rats but they were quickly exterminated."

A short snicker passed across the room. Arnook nodded, "Very well. As long as you don't see this as a problem then let us conclude."

The bottle of arctic wine was brought out as well as the small glasses. Again hostile eyes turned to Katara, that a woman dare share the ritual drink with them, but she held her ground. Her blue eyes refused to leave Pakku's as if telling him that he couldn't knock her down. She didn't flinch as the liquid burned down her throat. To do so would show weakness to a pack of wolves. It was finally his wizened eyes that looked away, a smirk gracing his expression. She had won and wisely hid her joy at her victory.

The meeting concluded, formalities exchanged, Hakoda notified them of a party he was holding at his private home to celebrate their arrival tomorrow evening. Looping his coat over his arm, Arnook turned to Katara. "Oh! You should bring your fighter. Zuko, is it? I'd love to see the face of such a profitable investment."

Trying her best to hide her discomfort in the request, she nodded and respectfully agreed. "Good. Good," Arnook laughed, clapping Hakoda on the shoulder, "We will see you later then, my friend. "

As soon as they were gone, Katara exhaled the breath she didn't realize she was holding, the game finally over, and fingered the charm of her necklace. Sokka however smiled at his sister, "Well looks like you'll have to bring a lamb to dine with a pack of wolves."

"If only the lamb weren't a dragon," Hakoda chimed in behind them, loosening his tie and taking the last drink of tea from his cup. "Keep close guard on him, both of you. Just because he makes us all money doesn't mean his kind is welcome."

OooOooOooO

From the way the temperature dropped it felt like winter would come quick this year. Discreetly raising his body temperature against the chill, Zuko's feet crunched against the leaves on the sidewalk making his way to the gym. Toph had given him a key so that he could begin early knowing that he was usually up before anyone else. There was only three more fights left in the season and from what he understood, his next opponent would be tough.

To his surprise he found he wasn't the first one there. Facing slightly away from the front door, he finds Katara jogging at a steady pace on one of the treadmills. She appeared lost in whatever was playing from the armband that held the iPod, the wires bouncing against her ample chest. He could see from the faint sheen of sweat glistening along her mocha skin that she had been here awhile. For the first time he saw her as a regular woman working out like any regular person would do. Not his boss, not a mob princess. Just Katara. Granted a Katara in a sports bra that pushed her cleavage up with a little trail of sweat right down the space between them, skin tight workout pants that flared just so at the knee, brown hair up in a sloppy ponytail, makeup free face that he found more attractive in some way. Normally he preferred lighter skinned girls, but damn if she wasn't hot. When she wasn't being a bitch that was. However he saw right through that front of hers. He had lived that life, he knew the games. Hell, he had practically been born playing them. Maybe that's why he wasn't scared of her and why they managed to share a certain camaraderie.

He cautiously approached her though and finally caught her gaze. She pulled the ear buds out and tossed a friendly "good morning" his way.

"You're here early," Zuko remarked, suddenly kicking himself for stating something so obvious. He grabbed an ankle to stretch out the quad muscle of his left leg then his right.

She slowed down the pace on the console to begin her cool down, smiling, "Yeah, I needed to burn some energy I guess." After the meeting last night she had been antsy, nervous. She had always prided herself on her ability to be cool in any situation but the thought of having Zuko meet her people was… uncomfortable to say the least. Then trying to reach Jet all night with no answer fueled a slew of other thoughts in her head.

Before he could hop on the treadmill for a warm up, she tilted her head and made a request. "Show me some moves of yours." He couldn't deny that smile. For the first time, it felt genuine. Like he was seeing the real Katara. So naturally he agreed, helping her into the ring, tossing off his shoes and recommending she do the same. He brought his hands up and she mirrored his moves. Upper cut, hook, cross, and repeat. Sidekick, knee, roundhouse and repeat. "Your elbows keep flailing out. Bring them in closer." She moved her elbows in as best she could. "Sorry my boobs keep getting in the way I guess."

"Oh," Zuko blushed, eyes flicking down briefly to the culprits then returned to meet her playful gaze. "Let's keep going then." Her attacks are quick but soft, his moves slow and more focused on form than power. Back and forth she struck and he'd block, he'd strike and she'd block. Tap, tap, kick. Kick, tap, kick. He could see from the concentration in her eyes she was really getting into this so he increased his power, not enough to hurt her of course. Inadvertently he felt his temperature rise and she must have felt it too because before he knew it she swept her arms overhead and with a great flick a tendril of water is headed straight for him. Without thinking, he blocked it with a fist of fire, steaming away the liquid with a telling hiss.

Tilting her head, she stared at him. Fear tightened in every fiber of his being. Firebenders are not smiled upon in this nation, any nation it felt like. A barrage of images flickered through his mind about what happens next. Imprisonment, a bullet in his brain out back, his daughter left orphaned (thank Agni she took after her mother and wasn't a bender), then Uncle and-. Instead she arched an eyebrow, "Huh. Interesting." She sinks down and places her hands in front of her in what he can only guess is a waterbending form. It vaguely reminds him of one of the firebending ones of his youth. "You've held back on me." Using the humidity in the room and drawing from other sources she pulls a water whip around herself. "Don't."

"You sure?" flames forming from his knuckles. "Fire is dangerous. You might get burned."

"I'm a big girl. I can handle it, if you can bring it."

Zuko chuckled, "Oh I can bring it," and being the more aggressive, Zuko started the flames and sparks kissing around the waterbender's liquidy attacks and defense. Much to his surprise she started laughing as the spar turned into a more of a dance around each other. Even greater to his surprise he started laughing too. The moves waxed and waned, hard and soft, back and forth. At first it was friendly banter between their laughter and grunts. Zuko couldn't quite pinpoint when it got dirty. Or maybe his male brain only heard it that way.

"Looks like you're getting tired," she called out, spinning away from a bolt of flame that went wide.

"Never," he grunted, easily blocking an ice dagger thrown his way, "Haven't you heard about my stamina?" He saw her eyes widen for a split second then that smile. Agni! He wanted her do that again.

"Oh stamina's great and all but it's more important that you're technique is good." Her body arched and swayed as she moved the water through the air towards him and he couldn't help but admire the view.

"I've got the belts to prove that my technique is a winner." His body ducked low, feet sweeping a wide arch of flame that hissed when it met her water.

"So if you beat me, would I be another notch then?"

"Waterbender," he circled around her expecting to outmatch her instead coming face to face, hands touching in a standoff. Their breathes were heavy, eyes glazed, sweat dripping, bodies pumping with that sweet adrenaline feeling almost post-coital, like a great round in bed. And he felt the strangest urge to kiss her. He hadn't thought of her in that way but he had learned years ago that when you fight someone you learn them, you get to know them without words or boundaries. Sparring with her only begun to open her up and he wanted more. "You could never be a notch." Her expression softened to almost surprise and something else he couldn't quite pinpoint. Truth be told his response shocked even himself. They both knew what he implied.

It was the clapping that finally broke the moment and, like two teens getting caught, they backed away from each other. "That was pretty good. Both of you. But if you two are done flirting like a couple of six-year-olds, Sparky here has work to do." Always the blunt one, Toph tossed a towel at Katara wordlessly telling her to get lost. Katara nodded and climbed out of the ring.

Zuko didn't mean to follow her with his eyes, but he couldn't stop staring at that backside. He fumbled a bit when she turned around to address him and from that cute little smile and the way her teeth grazed over her lips he knew he had been caught and she didn't mind so much. "There's a party tonight and you are the guest of honor. I'll have a suit sent over. Be ready by 7." Their eyes met one last time, curiosity and confusion, and with that she disappeared behind the door of the lady's locker room.

Once she was out of earshot, Toph finally spoke up. "You're a fucking idiot."

"Excuse me?" Zuko turned to face his new trainer.

"Hmph!" she snorted. "You two want each other so bad. She's miserable with him. You know it, I know it, hell even Jet and Katara know it. But you're all too insecure to admit what you want."

"She's my boss. Kind of. And that's highly inappropriate to try-"

"So, I'm Aang's boss and you don't see him complaining."

"So what do I do then, Sifu?"

"Grow some balls and get the girl," she shrugged, "Now let's hit the weights."

OooOooOooO

Sitting back in the leather seat, Katara watched as the limo rolled into the Lower Ring. It was a far cry from her apartment in the Upper Ring where the elite of Ba Sing Se lived. She hated the dirt, the feeling of misery and despair. Hundreds of thousands of people resigned to their fate there.

Really it wasn't that far off from where she had grown up back in the Southern Water Tribe. That's why she hated it. That's why a good chunk of her earnings went towards food banks, shelters, and other community services. Not many knew that about her and she liked it that way. They hadn't had much growing up aside from the love of their tight knit family. After the factories closed, unemployment and crime became the norm in their little corner of the world. Because Dad didn't have a job he couldn't pay the mortgage, and after a brief stint in a motel, they finally moved into the cheap two bedroom apartment in the dangerous neighborhood. Soon Dad was gone days, sometimes weeks, at a time. She never asked her father how he got involved with the SWT- some things were better left unsaid. All she knew was that he rose quickly and the Northerners came looking for him, seeing the potential he had and offered him the chance to set up shop in Ba Sing Se. The cards had fallen just so for their family and he took the offer. But Dad was away and apparently he pissed off someone because they came looking for him. It was the middle of the day and there was no school that day because of the heavy snow. Katara had been playing outside with Sokka, she remembered that distinctly. Then she saw the tinted car and the big men get out and go inside their shabby apartment complex, then the gunshots, the men casually returning to their car and speeding away. It was her that found her mother's body splayed across the kitchen floor. It was her that called Dad who hopped on the first flight home. It was her that sought out Gran Gran for solace. It wasn't until years later, from the way her father and the rest of the SWT spoke of The Nation, that she understood it was them who did that. And she hated them.

Then finding Zuko, whose family ran The Nation from what she knew, it was almost like a joke. Like ha ha! I own one of your dogs. But then she talked to him, got to know him, his daughter, his Uncle and it ruined all images she had of those people. Then this morning, being so close, so intimate, had made things a bit more complicated. Sure she had wanted him physically, now she wasn't so sure if it was more. It was less of a joke. Now he was going to be in the middle of people who hated his people much as she had. And she almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Until she pulled up to his apartment and her heart broke. It was a mirror image of her childhood home. That would have to change.

It took a moment to figure out what apartment was his exactly, but a happy Liang answered the door letting her into their home. It was clean despite the meager furnishings, a shabby futon sat in the middle of the small living room, a worn table in the kitchen, but lots of pictures on the walls and on the fridge, mostly of Liang.

"Wow! You look like a princess Miss Katara," Liang admired the blue silk cocktail dress Katara had chosen for the evening. "Can I come too?"

Katara frowned slightly, gently touching the girl's chin, the platinum bracelets clinking together. "Trust me, honey. These aren't people you want to meet."

"Then why does Dad get to go?"

"Because I'm very important to them and you are very important to me," Zuko answered tightly before Katara could, coming out of the bathroom adjusting the tie and sliding his hands over the sides of his hair. Katara had to come to her senses for a moment. He looked stunning, really working that black suit that hung off his body like perfection. Then his eyes met hers and suddenly they were back in the ring this morning, words taken too far, emotions that shouldn't have been there running deep, and it felt like a wave.

An older voice brought her back down to Earth and she glanced over to see his uncle, tea cup in hand, a dowdy expression on his unusually sunny face. "When should I expect Zuko home?"

Zuko bristled and Liang giggled, "Uncle! He's a grown-up. Besides Katara will take good care of him, right?"

Katara smiled back down at her, "Of course. Your dad is my responsibility. Now let's get going. We can't be late."

OooOooOooO

At the party, Zuko felt like a koala-lamb in a pack of wolves praying to whatever deity he can think of that these people don't know who he really is, or his lineage. Katara linked her arm in his, giving him her wide smile and he's strangely comforted by this. He remembers from years ago how to behave. The cultural differences are obvious but it's still all one big game set amongst highly beautiful, powerful people. This is his element. Not the dirty bars in the Lower Ring, but those of wealth and class. He can easily pick out who the big players are, who the fakes are, and who's just there for a good time. There are scores of escorts there for the "businessmen". Most are imports from the poles with their dark skin and pale eyes, some are green-eyed beauties from the Earth Kingdom and, to his surprise, he even picks out a few of his fellow nationalists, with their luminescent skin and heated gold eyes. There is an abundance of local whiskeys and imported arctic wines, foods from the homelands and from their adopted land. A deejay spins a blend of their national music and modern electronic beats. Overall it's a relaxed environment and not quite what Zuko was expecting. He is greeted warmly by most of the people there. Arnook, the most important man here apparently, converses a bit in his stilted Earthese with Katara translating as needed. Something about being proud to have such a strong young man in their ranks- or maybe that was midst? - and such an asset to their company. "Now please excuse me…"

Zuko is amazed at how Katara handles everyone around her. Even when he doesn't understand their words, he picks up on her body language, catching every sharp hitch, every relaxed laugh. He had learned from Jet, unlike Zuko, she hadn't been brought up in this world but this fact could have fooled him. She was just so natural at the schmoozing it bordered humorous to him. Halfway through the evening, Sokka pulls Zuko away to chat, questioning how he is doing and such while they watch Katara with a small group of women. Zuko is taken by the way she smiles and her relaxed attitude around them in surprising. He wonders who they are. Then the tension changed as a small group of men approached.

"Great. Hahn," Sokka practically hissed. "I thought we'd be lucky and he'd stay in his room tonight."

Debating whether to question Sokka further, Zuko watches intently as Hahn begins what he could only presume was flirting with the group of ladies, targeting Katara particularily.

"And he has a wife at home," Sokka said darkly, and then gave a mischievous grin. "Little does he know that on his "business trips" I make one of my own and comfort her in her time of loneliness. We do have to keep up relations after all."

They watch as Hahn keeps trying to get more physical with Katara, touching her arm lightly, standing close. It's only when Hahn puts a hand on her ass though, Zuko moves to help, but Sokka holds him back. "She's got it. Watch."

Suddenly Hahn was doubled over holding his groin with Katara standing in front of him, hand in a fist. Katara reached to draw him up and they can see the fear in the poor man's eyes. She whispers in his ear then with one last flex of her fist he drops to the ground turning to approach Sokka and Zuko smiling smugly. Hahn's cronies move to help him up and he allows them with minor protest. While Zuko might not speak their language but he understands implicitly that pain and can only presume he is cursing the woman.

She reaches for Zuko's drink and takes a long swig. "You know you'd think he'd learn to stop doing that. It's amazing he can have kids with as often as I've had to do that."

Then the DJ began to play a song and her eyes lit up. Leading him to the area designated as the dance floor, they swayed in time. He was tempted to discuss what had happened at the gym earlier that day, the way her eyes turned to his, the sensual beats of the song, the thoughts slipped away and he moved with her just enjoying the closeness. Her perfume intoxicated him, her body heat was so comforting. Desperately he tried to push those thoughts away.

Burying her head in his shoulder, as the electronica turned to a slower R&B tune, they swayed. "I shouldn't like you the way I do," she whispered, fingering the buttons on his shirt, her words beginning to slur from the wine consumed, her thoughts jumbling together. "I've wanted you for a while now. But it doesn't matter. I have to play pretend and be mean. I never said I liked it. Really I hate it. It's just what we have to do. Isn't it?" Her eyes turned up to his and he saw such sadness. "And you know that."

Zuko nodded, "Yeah. I do."

"How did you get out?" Zuko looked away. "It's probably best not to talk about that here."

Katara shifted her head, surrounded by her own, remembering he was the outsider. "Yeah. Will you take me home? I'm tired and I don't want to be here anymore."

OooOooOooO

It was very late on the car ride home after dropping off Zuko. Her head lolled against the headrest, eyes partially closed. The evening had been a success. If there was any animosity they hid it better than she could. She could still see the way he looked at her, like he didn't know whether or not to take her in his arms and never let her go or to curse her and fight. Their knees had brushed and it took all her effort not to jump him. Then he brushed his pinky against hers and she couldn't breath. Just a simple, stupid little thing had sent her tumbling. It had never felt like that before with anyone. It wasn't until she approached her penthouse door that her gut clenched and all those delicious happy feelings flew away.

"Where were you?" Jet asked, following her inside the apartment without invitation.

Shrugging out of her coat and hanging it neatly with the others in the closet, she explained diplomatically, "I told you it was a business engagement."

"That only Zuko is special enough to go to. What about me, huh? I'm the one who helped get him this gig. I'm part of your business too."

She patted him on the chest and pulled one heel off then the other. "So you want a prize for that? A bonus? Fine. I'll have Sokka cut you a check first thing tomorrow."

"Don't patronize me. That's not what I mean. "

"Then please tell me what you mean. I'm tired and have had a very long day and would love to go to sleep." They both noted how she didn't use the word "bed".

"You know for once I'd like you to let me into your world. Tell me what you want. What you need. Not what you think people want from you. You're so busy playing pretend that you're missing what's important."

"Are you asking for more sex?" She laughed wiggling her butt as she pulled a bottled water from the fridge.

"God damn it Katara. Would you just listen for once?" he shouted, slamming his fist against the wall, rattling the art work that hung. Katara turned to face him, brows knitted together.

"What am I supposed to listen to? Huh? We both knew this was casual, no strings attached so why are you suddenly so insecure? Is it because I'm spending more time with Zuko? Are you jealous?" She crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her chin up in a challenge.

"I'm not jealous," from his tone however she knew he was lying, "I know that it's casual. Gods do I know that. What if I want more? Does that even matter to you?"

She bit her bottom lip. "Why can't we just leave well enough alone? Why do you have to make this complicated?"

"Complicated? _I'm_ making this complicated? Jesus, Katara! You know, you think you're so hard, the daughter of some mafia lord, power and money and everything you could ever want right at your fingertips…"

Her anger bubbled, her voice lifted higher than she planned, "I have to be hard to get where I'm at. You think its easy being a woman in this world. Well it's not. I don't get to run around all day doing La's knows what like you do."

"Yeah well you run around in those tight skirts and "fuck me" shoes real well. How do I know that you're not out there sleeping you're way to the top, whatever the top even is?"

That bubble was a rolling boil now and it unleashed in a hard slap to his face. "Don't you ever say that to me," she hissed, pointing a finger accusingly in his face. "Ever!"

Jet clenched his jaw and even he knew he had crossed the line, "I'm sorry. I know you're not that way. But did you ever stop to ask if I want more? If you want more? I guess I just don't understand why it's so hard."

"Because my family…"

"Of course, you're family. It's all about your family isn't it?" the words came out as a snort.

They'd been down this road before but when push came to shove it was always easier to close off her heart, use her family as a scapegoat, before things got too deep and with Jet she had walked that line so well. "Stop." He didn't, he kept right on. "Why can't you admit you want what every other woman wants…?"

Gripping the edge of the counter she demanded again for him to stop and again he continued. "You want a guy to tell you you're gorgeous and to kiss and hug you everyday-"

"Stop it." She tried stopping the tears but they betrayed her by falling anyways. His voice pitched deep in anger and frustration, eyes piercing her very soul. "You wanna be loved for who you are not what you are. You want-"

Katara can't take it anymore, her voice shouts out the words before she can stop them, "Not by you!"

The words linger in the air like smog on a bad day in the city. She knew deep in her soul that he wasn't what she needed. She couldn't say it was because of Zuko but she couldn't say it wasn't. There was something there that made her want, need, and Jet never gave her that feeling.

It was Jet that finally spoke. "I guess I just thought that with all the good things happening for all of us, the wins and all, that maybe we could've been more." He shook his head and reached for the door. "…And people think it's always the woman that gets screwed."

"I'm sorry Jet," Katara whispered, gasping through the tears. "It wasn't supposed to be like this… I didn't…"

"Yeah, well. I'll be fine." And he was gone.

**

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AN: Thanks for all the encouragement and feedback so far, to the reviewers and the lurkers alike. Thanks muchly to **xxZutaraFanxx **for her help with the Jet scene and to sable and lynny for making me remember to include the things that so far have only been in my head.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Language, some violence, some citrus, modern AU**

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.

* * *

**

OooOooOooO

"Liang, hurry up. I want to get there before the fireworks start," Zuko ordered, shrugging on his sweatshirt, double checking for his wallet and keys. Liang sat on the floor, slowly tying her shoes murmuring the rhyme to remind her how to do it, "Rabbaroo hops 'round the tree and down the hole and out the other side." Zuko glanced over puzzled at how long it was taking her. Normally she'd be done and out the door and yelling at him to hurry up. She was stalling. But why?

Then a knock on the door startled him and before he can answer Liang tied both shoes in record time and flung open the door. To his surprise Katara is there, casually dressed in jeans and a hoodie. Damn she looked good, much preferring this look to her normal high style. "Hi," she smiled brightly to Liang who hugged her back.

Zuko furrowed, "What are you doing here? Toph said I have the week off. Did I need to-?" Katara lifted her hand cutting him off. "Your daughter invited me to come with. She was shocked I had never been to a Fire Days Festival - frankly I didn't think there was enough of you people around here to justify having one but whatever- so she invited me along. That's okay, right?" Aside from being confused about her presence, he was also confused about when on earth his daughter spoke to Katara. Then Liang spoke up, "Besides she's been lonely and she needed-"

Katara forced a laugh and put her hand over the child's mouth. "That's enough. Thank you for letting me tag along." The lift of her brow and quirk of her lip told him he'd be an idiot to say "no", so he shrugged. "You're the boss, right? I have to do what you say." To his surprise both women in his life agreed with this statement.

They walk the four blocks to where the entire narrow street was doused in reds and golds, dragons and flames. The first spicy scents of his homeland hit his nose and his mouth watered for the Flaming Fire Flakes only available during the traveling festival. While his childhood had left much to be desired it was the simple things, like those Fire Flakes, the fireworks that made him miss home. He was thankful that they came to this area so that his daughter could experience some of his culture. Glancing over to Katara though, she seemed to have a much different opinion being surrounded by faces that mirrored his own. He could have sworn he saw a flicker of terror before blinking back to reality, putting that brave smile on her face, and taking Liang's offered hand heading to the nearest booth. Zuko's ears picked up the different dialects from the Fire Nation and it felt like home for the briefest moments. They walk the booths and he notices the confusion on Katara's face as he negotiates deals for trinkets in his dialect. Once they had picked out the perfect masks, he smirked, "You're not the only who speaks something besides Earthese."

Before Katara could comment, Liang pulled both their hands leading them to the small stage where the puppet show was underway. She had settle in on the benches with the other children while Zuko and Katara set up on the sides with the other adults. The puppet dragon entered and swirled around with the Fire Lord in fancy robes came out and suddenly there was a swarm of men dressed in funny rounded hats and green robes that began throwing little grey balls of paper made to look like rocks. He had to laugh at the cheesy dialogue and then he felt Katara nudge him, "What are they saying?"

"It's an old folktale," Zuko began, moving close to her ear so he wouldn't disrupt the others around them. "A long time ago there was a Fire Lord, the ruler of the Fire Nation, and he rode a powerful dragon. One day the Fire Lord decided that he wanted to rule the earthbenders too and attacked them. The Fire Lord's best friend told him not to do this because it would only cause heartache. Well, he wasn't very bright because rocks beat fire but he tried and tried and tried until he was too tired and fell asleep on a nice rock bed. The earthbenders saw that and encased him in the stone where he remained for the rest of his days. The moral of the story is wisdom over power, little firebenders." The crowd of children cheered as the story ended and the dragon sped away in a ball of flame. Zuko should have pulled away from her ear but he didn't. She could have pulled away too but she didn't until after a few moments when her blue eyes met his and he got that breathless feeling again. He swallowed thickly and turned away to find his daughter bouncing over to them, demanding they get dinner. Half expecting Katara to find the meal too hot, he was surprised how she seemed to relish the spicy dishes. He was quite taken with how at ease she seemed to be, even during transactions at the stalls and the language barriers she was patient and despite getting the best bargain for a trinket or whatnot, she always paid the full price. Then at one of the stalls, the middle-aged man looked at him questioningly. "I know you. Where do I know you from?"

He knew that there were members of The Nation in the city but they were insignificant members compared to those back home in the Fire Nation. In his years in Ba Sing Se, he had managed to distance himself from the organization quite well then a loaded question like that would be asked. Using his typical answer, "I'm nobody," he stepped away, leading Liang away with a firm hand on her shoulder. Katara stood shoulder to shoulder, while she didn't understand their language she caught on quick that Zuko was uncomfortable with whatever was being said.

"No. No. I know you!" The vendor tapped his chin and finally came up with the answer, "You're that fighter. Zuko Long! The champion of the Fire Nation! Lu! Chang! Come out and see!" Zuko blushed as a small group of men surrounded him, a couple kids, and a few women. Pens and scraps of paper or cloth were shoved in his direction for his signature. Liang began bragging about her father to the little boys who waited their turn for the autograph. "Wow! A real celebrity." "I saw that fight against that huge earthbender weeks ago and you were amazing." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Katara smiling at him proudly, arms crossed over her chest. If he had been anyone else, this would have stroked their egos, but it made him uncomfortable to say the least. Cameras flashed in his eyes, more pens shoved in his hands to sign whatever was presented for him. Finally Katara came up and pulled Zuko and Liang from the mix. "Okay, okay, the celebrity has to go now. Thank you. Thank you."

"That was awesome!" Liang decided. "Dad, you're really famous or something."

"Just because a couple folks think I'm good at what I do does not make me famous," he chided, leading the two to the courtyard where the fireworks were soon to start. Katara nudged his shoulder with her own, "Actually you are kind of up and coming. I meant to tell you that this Wednesday there's a photo shoot for some sports magazine."

"What?" The news made him stop in the middle of the crowd, upsetting those who were trying to get past.

Katara grabbed his hand pulling him along. "Oh, it's no big deal."

"It _is_ a big deal. I won't do it."

She tilted her head slightly and tapped his chest. "Yes, you will. Remember, I'm your boss and you have to do what I say." He gaped for a second, then sighed heavily pinching the bridge of his nose. "Besides it's not like you have to get naked or anything. It's not one of _those _magazines." Well, thank Agni for that. Still.

"Fine." Just then the fireworks blasted into the night sky, golds, blues and reds, greens and whites sparkled and shimmered, casting lovely colors across the audience. In the midst of the explosions, Liang tugged her dad's hand and cuddled in tight. Then he felt Katara pull in tight as well. His inner Iroh was tempted to wrap an arm around her but reason outweighed the feeling and he just allowed her to stand ridiculously close. Glancing over at her, he caught her eyes and for a moment he felt compelled to kiss her. How was this happening? One minute he wanted to strangle her, the next he wanted to kiss her. Surely this wasn't healthy. Or normal. He wished she stopped looking at him that way. Or maybe because he'd been alone for so long he was reading more into it than he should have.

The fireworks concluded and following the crowd, the threesome made their way back to Zuko's apartment. Halfway there Liang complained about being tired so Zuko carried her the rest of the way. Once back at his place, he put Liang to bed and came into the living room where Katara waited. For what he wasn't quite sure. "Thanks for having me along. It was fun," she smiled.

"Yeah, well, I didn't have much choice," he joked. They both looked around the small room carefully avoiding each other's gaze.

"Do you mind if I hang out for a bit? I'm waiting for my driver to pick me up," she explained, fiddling with the zipper of her hoodie.

"No, that's fine. Want some coffee or tea or something? I have beer and juice boxes." he opened the fridge door and scouted for something appropriate to serve her.

She giggled at "juice boxes". "Thank you. No. I'm stuffed from earlier. This is a nice apartment." Sitting stiffly on either end of the couch, they let small talk fill the gaps of silence as she waited to be picked up. "How come you haven't moved from here?"

Zuko shrugged. Instead he blurted, "I'm sorry about you and Jet."

As soon as the words slipped from his lips her face hardened. "It was bound to happen eventually. Besides, it's no concern of yours."

_Isn't it though?_ he wanted to ask.

OooOooOooO

Between a focused Zuko silently watching videos of his next opponent in action trying to learn his weaknesses on Katara's laptop trying his best to ignore the tension around him, a pissed off Jet on his right side who was knocking back the drinks like they were water and staring out the window, across the aisle an even more pissed off Toph still grumbling about being forced into the flight rather than driving with Aang next to her soothing her as best he could, behind him Longshot and Smellerbee, now six months pregnant having insisted on coming even though she no longer was the cutman she was still part of the team, sound asleep under the blanket, and two seats up a disturbingly quiet Katara sat flipping through the magazine without actually reading, the flight to Omashu was tense to say the least.

Everyone who knew those two knew that Jet and Katara would split then get back together, it was like a cycle but this time around it felt more permanent. Immediately after, Jet had knocked on Zuko's door, eyes blood-shot from drinking and crying (though he denied the crying). There had been a scuffle, an accusation of his best friend's fidelity, and a collapse on the floor, words of indifference muffled by the carpeting.

"I'm sorry, man," Zuko said sincerely, laying the blanket over his friend's prone body. Jet smiled and nodded and tucked the blanket under his chin. "I s'pose if I had to lose her to anyone, better you than some asshole right?" his bitter laugh faded into heavy snores leaving Zuko to ponder the words left heavy in the air. Jet had promised his friend to finish out the season with him but he was leaving when it was over. "I need to find something else before I get too old to have any more fun," he announced at the breakfast table. Liang had cried at the thought of losing her "uncle" and Jet had promised her that he would keep in touch. "Sometimes grownups need some space, kiddo." Then she slugged him hard in the arm. "You better," she demanded, giving that same scowl inherited from her father.

Now here they were all together, three weeks later, enclosed in the private plane doing their best to pretend that they were all being professional and civil. Zuko's next bout was Saturday and they wanted at least two days to prepare in the city itself to acclimate themselves to the higher altitude. Toph had already made arrangements with a friend for the perfect place to get in some last minute training. Katara had them booked at one of the nicest hotels in the city and after check in, the group parted ways calling dibs on their own rooms. Unfortunately she had only booked four rooms, not having anticipated her and Jet not sharing their room, and the hotel was completely booked for the upcoming event and the other hotels in the area were filled as well. Zuko offered to bunk with Jet giving his room to an appreciative Katara. After settling in, they all headed to the gym to get in the last minute light workout session, except for Katara who remained in her room, claiming to have other things she needed to get done. Late afternoon, they changed and headed downstairs for dinner and drinks, to relax and toast to tomorrow night's big event. Despite the tension between Jet and Katara, everyone was in good spirits by the time everyone slowly trickled to their own rooms for a good night's rest, Jet however remained behind. Zuko was fast asleep by the time he heard the door open and Jet slink in, not alone. He was shushing a female giggle and Zuko suddenly thought he had reconciled with Katara and had brought her but opening an eye he saw a twig of a young lady hanging off him.

"Hey!" Jet whispered, "Zuko! Buddy?"

"What?" he growled back, trying to pull the covers over himself.

"Hey, could you take off for awhile?" Jet asked, nodding behind him at the girl leaning against the wall who looked nearly as drunk as Jet sounded. Zuko looked up incredulously, "Are you fucking kidding me? I have a match tomorrow and all you can think of is getting laid?"

Jet looked wide-eyed innocent, "What? You wanna join or something? I know it's been a while since the last time you fucked someone. I'm sure she'd be up for a threesome." He laughed and held out his hand for a fist bump, "Hell yeah! Let's do it. Tag team."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose then threw back the covers. He grabbed the jeans lying on the floor and shoved on the nearest shirt. "You're sick and I need to sleep."

"Aww, baby, don't be like that," he hiccupped through his laugh, "I'll always love you the best," reaching out to give Zuko a hug. Zuko easily tossed him so that Jet landed face up on the bed. Somehow the girl had materialized from the doorway to Jet's side and Zuko had to bite back his gag reflex. Not wanting to argue with a horny drunk man, he grabbed his room key.

"Yeah, whatever. Have fun. I'll be back in the morning so just," he waved his hand at the bed, "make sure things are picked up."

"Thanks, man. I owe you big time," Jet's attention clearly shifting gears as Zuko closed the door to giggles.

Looking up and down the hallway, Zuko debated who to hit up for a place to crash. Toph would probably kick his ass, Longshot and Smellerbee were all in "happy family" mode, so that left Katara. Slinking to her door right next to his room, he knocked softly then louder. Finally she answered the door, hair still damp from the shower she had just gotten out of and looking perfectly fresh and clean makeup free and in, of all things, penguin PJ bottoms and an old t-shirt. She eyeballed him suspiciously, "Can I help you?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, he answered sheepishly, "I kind of got kicked out of my room and was wondering if I could crash on your couch." That look he got confused the hell out of him. It was angry, confused, and yet hopeful. After a moment of silence he turned, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't impose. I'll see-"

"No. No, it's fine. C'mon in," she smiled demurely (he hadn't even been aware she could have that expression but it was strangely a turn on) and opened the door for him. They made small talk as he opened up the sleeper sofa and settled the blankets and spare pillow from her bed on top. "Well, good night."

"Good night."

Zuko's eyes had barely fallen closed again when there was a loud thump, then another, then another. Sitting up he tried to pinpoint the noise finally establishing they came from next door, in his room. Letting out a disgusted sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose and pulled the pillow over his head to try to muffle the sounds. It was no use. The steady thumping was soon added by other muffled noises. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on and part of him was strangely turned on thinking about what was causing the noises (Agni! It had been nearly a year since he'd last been with a woman.) but that arousal disappeared when he heard Katara shifting around in her bed. He kind of felt sorry for her.

"I swear he does that shit on purpose!" she finally announced, flipping the light next to the bed on and shoving the blankets aside. "He's such a jackass sometimes. You wanna get out of here?"

"Please." So much for a good night's sleep. He tied up his running shoes as she slipped into the bathroom to change out of her pajamas. Soon enough they were downstairs walking in the hotel's courtyard to the pool outside. The stars and moon glimmered off the smooth water's surface. The night air was crisp and warm. Finding a spot at the edge, Katara sat, slipping off the flip flops and dipping a toe into the water, little circles forming from the painted nail. Zuko plopped down next to her, taking off his shoes and socks as well and turned his head to the sky, finding the familiar constellations and a sense of peace from something so simple. It almost startled Zuko when she finally spoke. "You know, he does that shit all the time. Up there in the room. Tries to make me jealous or something by going around with those other girls."

"Why were you with him then?" he finally asked, turning to look at her.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she breathed out. "Does it matter?"

Leaning back on his arms, he closed his eyes. "He's a dickhead."

"He's your best friend." Was that really condemnation in her tone? Opening his eyes, he saw it clearly on her face.

"Yeah and he's still a dickhead. I'm sorry you had to hear him or whatnot." He meant it. .

"So you really want to know why I was with him, huh?" Zuko shrugged, getting the sense that she needed to talk about it regardless of if he agreed or not. "Since I was 14 every boy who came sniffing around only wanted two things from me," she held up one finger, "my body," she held up another finger, "to use me to rise up in the organization. Unless of course they were too scared of my family, what we do, to even subject themselves to attempting. In your other life I'm sure you had that too." He nodded. "Well then I meet Jet. I'm about 18, maybe 19, at the time, fresh into the world and here's this cute boy who doesn't care about any of that. He likes me. Not the Kuruk name. Just Katara." She took a deep breath before continuing, "You know him, you know what kind of crap he does, and well my family didn't look upon that too well. My family is everything. I can do without money and clothes and cars, I've done without before, but without them none of it even matters. I don't think he ever quite understood that. He always blamed them for us not working out. Then when he did finally realize that, I think that's when he started using me to get what he wanted. And in some ways I started using him right back. I guess five years of that gets draining and I got tired of it. The funny thing is that I know outside of us, he's a totally different guy. He's always looking out for the underdog, so to speak, and I guess I hoped that that would carry over to a relationship but it never did. "

Zuko nodded in acknowledgement not quite knowing how to respond to that. Instead she asked, "How about you?"

"How about me?" he asked, confused.

She nudged his shoulder with hers, "Yeah. How come I don't see you with the hordes of girls that obviously want to be with you?" He must have had a "who me?" expression come over his face because she laughed lightly, "Yeah, I see all those girls checking you out, big shot. Trying to get you all to themselves."

"Yeah, well, I've got one girl in my life and that's enough for me," Zuko admitted, still fiddling with the laces on his running shoes, repeating her words from earlier, "She's my everything and without her none of it matters." His eyes met hers and she had an almost wondrous expression as though seeing him for the first time.

She then stood and dropped her pants and unzipped the hoodie leaving her in nothing but white bikini underwear and a cotton bra. Admiring the view he barely had time to register her leaping into the water and her tan head bobbing above the blue surface.

"Gonna join me?" she smiled up at him from where she treaded water.

"No thanks."

"Oh, c'mon. I don't bite. Unless that's your thing." She teased, leaning back in the water so that the tips of her breasts were unintentionally peeking above the surface. Agni! His male brain kicked into high gear imagining if those tips pressing hard against the bra were large chocolate circles or small pink buds. Dear sweet Agni, give him strength not to dive in and kiss her senseless and make love to her so good she'd be asking "Jet who?" Before he could second guess himself, his clothes were in a pile next to hers leaving him in the boxer briefs. He dove in and shuddered against the cold water that enveloped him. Bursting to the surface he took a lung full of air, "Holy shit that's cold!"

Her voice was closer than he expected and he found her within arm's reach. "Then warm it up, firebender." And gladly he did. "Happy?" he said, brushing back the wet strands of hair from his eyes.

She bit her bottom lip, "Yes," and slunk beneath the surface so only her eyes visible. From the way the word slipped out, it was almost as though she meant more than just him joining her. Then a splash of water hit him right in the face and he heard her laugh. He quickly sliced through the water and with equal power splashed her right back. They were like two little kids, back and forth, until he caught her by the waist and lifted her out of the water to throw her back in. Their eyes met and her arms slung around his neck and instead of tossing her he held her tighter against his chest and she seemed to have crawled higher against him. Without thinking he lowered his mouth just as she lifted hers.

"It's been a while," he breathed against her lips. "And... I really want to kiss you."

"So do it. Like I said I don't bite." She licked her lips in anticipation. "Besides I'm kind of your boss. You have to do what I say."

Suddenly the logical part of his brain kicked in and he let go of her, swimming backwards to put some distance between them. He watched with a tinge of regret the way her face twisted into disappointment. "I'm sorry. I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not that guy."

She tilted her head puzzled over him closing the distance between them yet again. "What kind of guy would that be?"

"I don't want to take advantage of you. I mean you practically just broke up with Jet and then hearing him with someone else and that just seems inappropriate and mmph-." Her lips pressed firmly yet softly against his, her body warm and pliant under his hands, and gods he wanted more. He cupped the back of her head and pressed back against her. Their lips explored and tasted before finally breaking to catch their breaths, eyes opening slowly to question and answer.

"You can't take advantage of someone who's willing," she whispered. "I don't say things I don't mean and when I told you at that party that I shouldn't feel the way I do I meant it. I shouldn't want to feel you this close to me, but I do. So much of my life is pleasing others and with Jet, yeah it was pleasing myself, but I wasn't happy. It's weird with you, you know? It's like I can be myself with you and that's rare in my world."

"We hardly know each other though," Zuko breathed, resting his forehead against hers.

"Can't we change that?" she ran her hand over the curve of his cheek, the stubble tickling her fingertips. Exiting the pool, she bends the water from their bodies and he heats the air around them to finish the process. Getting redressed (and catching glimpses of bare flesh quickly getting covered up) they headed back to her room. Lying opposite each other on the huge bed, she passed one of the ear buds to her iPod over to him and together they fell asleep to the sounds of the music rather than the sounds on the other side of the wall.

OooOooOooO

The stadium was huge. Bigger than any one he had been in to date. The music was loud and thrummed through him even way back here in the locker room. Katara had wished him good luck before leaving to discuss some things with the other promoter. Longshot and Toph wrapped his wrists and ankles, checking and double checking his gloves. Jet however was off to the side, chatting with a few female reporters, and getting some phone numbers from what Zuko could tell. In his mind, he focused on the video footage from the past couple days of his opponent, playing and replaying the information in his head. _When he kicks right, he steps back and opens up his left flank_. _Usually finishes with a double strike combo and a left hook._ Finally one of the event coordinators announced it was time and led Zuko and his team through the halls, to the arena where the crowd cheered and leered. The multi-colored lights flashed as he entered the ring, across from him he saw his opponent bouncing and tapping his gloves together. Toph gave some last minute reminders, tapping him on the head, "Give him hell, Sparky."

The ref motioned for them to approach the center. Biting at his mouth guard, chomping like a horse ready to race, he was ready. The first couple hits were tests like always. They had been right about this guy. He was challenging. Fortunately Zuko loved a challenge. Kicks and punches, lunges, and sweeps, arm bars, and tap outs until finally in the middle of the fourth round the man beneath him smacked the mat to give the final tap out just as Zuko's knee landed in the other's man rib cage with a crunch as the bone beneath cracked. It was unanimous. Zuko won. Lifting his arm in the air, the crowd roared their approval. Cameras flashed as the winner exited the ring to return to the locker room while the loser limped off into the sunset.

One down, two more to go.

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**Thanks, as always, to all the reviewers and to you lurkers for the favs and alerts. And thanks to xxZutarafanxx for her prompt reminders to get this thing done. :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Language, some violence, modern AU, some citrus. In fact, there is a lemon in this chapter. **

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.**

OoooOoooO

"So, I heard you were single now?" her business associate commented, trying to be nonchalant as he mentally calculated the stack of bills inside the thick envelope Katara passed to him. Before leaving Omashu later in the day, Katara headed up north to some little Podunk town in the middle of, or what to her was, nowhere. Sokka, on his way home from a visit to the North Pole, waited for her in a diner where their designer threads clashed with the ripped vinyl seats and weary locals covered in dirt and grime. After a surprisingly delicious meal, they continued on to their rendezvous place to attend some family business. The morning after Zuko's fight, Toph, Jet and the crew headed back to Ba Sing Se. Katara insisted everyone go on ahead and she'd watch Zuko since he was still asleep by mid-morning when their flight was scheduled to leave.

She had met Sokka in a little diner on the outskirts there on his way back from the North Pole, to attend to some business where Toph, Jet and the crew had already headed back to Ba Sing Se while Zuko rested up a bit back at the hotel. He had taken a good beating the night before and sleep was his reward.

Under half-lidded eyes, she was aware of how he followed the sway of her hips in the tight skirt, high heeled boots crunching in the gravel as she sauntered over to him. "Haru," she smiled, patting him on the chest the manicured fingers toying with the buttons of his faux-military jacket, "You know I love you. You're the best but my personal life is not part of this deal."

He had been trying forever to get her attention but over the years of their dealings she had made it clear that she wasn't interested. Haru was right though. Katara had heard the rumor as well. How quickly things spread. Granted she had never quite considered herself coupled with Jet, it was easy for her to see why others would think that. Why, of all things, Zuko's face popped into her mind at just that moment, in a pool at night, nearly naked, that cautious little smile as he gazed at her in a way she had never been looked at before. The heat rose to her cheeks at the memory of the heat of his body so dangerously, deliciously close, the feel of that bulge pressing against the back of her thigh that could have offended her but didn't, the wide-eyed apprehension when she lead him to her bed, the comforting brush of his hand against hers as they laid together ignoring the noises next door. It had been the best sleep she had gotten in a long time.

"Hey, can't blame a guy for trying, right?" he laughed light-heartedly, kissing her offered cheek, thick black Fu Manchu-style mustache tickling her skin. Playfully she tugged at the strands that hung low on either side of his mouth, "When you getting rid of this thing? It's been years and it still looks weird on you."

He stuck out his chin defiantly, "I happen to like it. Surprisingly lots of chicks dig this look."

"I can just imagine," she teased, looping her arm into his, "Let's go see how the boys are doing." Following Haru from the parking lot to the shooting range where they heard the loud pops echoing against the rock walls. Sokka was having a fun time sampling their new merchandise with Haru's co-worker, Teo. His father, known for anonymities sake as The Mechanist, was the designer and Teo the salesman. A sweet and savvy young man, despite being in wheelchair, he traveled all over the world selling his father's brilliant designs to the highest bidders. Since The Tribe was his best customers, they always got first pick.

"Katara, you gotta try this bad boy out. It's freaking sweet," Sokka practically bounced up and down like a little child, offering the custom semi-automatic gun over to her.

"I had a couple of those Nation punks sniffing around for Dad's stuff, but I told them to kiss off," Teo explained, shifting into his wheelchair to make some minor adjustments to the weapon in his hand.

Putting on the protective ear and eyewear, years of training in weaponry, she carefully weighed the piece, noting that it was small enough to conceal, big enough to do some damage. Sighting the target down range and, flipping the safety off, the bullets met their target with a precision that impressed her to say the least. She let out a few more bursts until the clip was emptied. "Very nice. Tell your father he did wonderful," she agreed, pulling out the earplugs and carefully passing the weapon back to her brother. Glancing down at the name and number ringing through on her phone, she politely excused herself and headed to where her rental was parked. Phoning the caller back, she beamed in excitement at her personal acquisition, requesting the paperwork be couriered to her office for her signature when she got back into town. It was a hell of a deal and she hoped that it would be appreciated.

Leaving her brother behind to finalize delivery and such, she made the three hour drive back to Omashu in just under two. While she was craving a nice massage from the hotel's expert masseuse, she first needed to have a "chat" with that stingy bastard that ran the arena. He had screwed her out of the normally hefty profits from Zuko's win last night and he needed to be taught that such a thing wasn't in his best interest. Lucky for her, getting in his office had been easy, his bodyguards thinking she was there for "other" business. The fat slob in a horrid designer knock-off suit and even more horrid comb-over was a major pushover without his burly bodyguards so getting her cut had been simpler than she originally bargained for. Of course the shot to the balls and flash of her adorable little handgun probably helped her a bit. Crumpled on the floor, she knelt down beside him, angling away so that he couldn't see up her skirt, gun resting on her thighs. "Are you going to screw me over again?" she asked sweetly. He whimpered a bit finally settling on a "no". Katara helped him up, coddling him a bit "Good. This was such a fantastic place that'd I'm sure you'd hate to lose our business, yes?" He agreed while spinning the dial of the safe so that he could get her money. Beaming at the victory as the stack of bills were placed in her hot little hand, she graciously thanked him again tucking the envelope in her black leather pea coat and left him cursing that "fucking waterbending bitch".

La above, she loved when things went this well. Now she could go get that full massage. She had earned it. Maybe she should ask Zuko if he'd like to join her. Maybe he'd say yes. Maybe he'd be naked under the towel. Maybe she'd get a nice view as he got on and off the table. Maybe it'd lead to more when the masseur would leave. That sent a nice little shiver through her. Now if only this stupid traffic in town would move quicker.

OoooOoooO

Humming to herself, she knocked on Zuko's door. Waiting patiently, and then frowning when he didn't answer in a reasonable amount of time. Knocking again, a little bit louder this time, and waiting again, arms crossed across her chest, he finally answered dressed in baggy sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt, looking a bit worse for wear. A large bruise had settled across his jaw, a cut along his eyebrow and lower lip. From the way he held his side as he led Katara into his hotel room, Katara could tell he was hurting. Furrowing her brow together, she grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him into the bathroom ordering him to sit on the toilet and take off his shirt. Plugging the sink, she filled the bowl with water then gloved her hand in the cool liquid. Mentally she winced when she saw the huge black and blue bruise formed across his ribs.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, hissing when she pressed against his tender flesh of his side then sighing as he felt the pain magically exit his body and into the water surrounding her palms.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she replied, a tone of sarcasm, going from injured part to injured part, his personal medic.

"I didn't know people could do that."

"Yeah well. It's one of my many talents. Now shut up so I can't focus."

He was truly a brave guy to sit so stoically as she mended flesh, muscle, and the occasional cracked bone. It was strange to her to help like this. Part of her enjoyed this ability to heal others, but the fighter in her overruled any desire to pursue that aspect of her bending. She could feel his curious eyes following her movements, her face, flicking away when she'd meet his gaze. His chin rested in her palm while her other hand pressed across the bridge of his nose, mending the final cut.

"Anywhere else?" she asked looking over her handy work, running her fingers over his pale, well-defined torso checking for further injuries. Katara had to admit it felt nice under her fingers, so she continued oblivious to the hitch in her breath and the way his eyes slid closed and face softened yet was smugly aware of the goosebumps she left in her wake. Trailing along his abs, up his chest with only the smallest black patch of hair in the center, loving the broadness of his shoulders and the way they hunched just slightly, the arms well let's just say she would love to be held by them again much like two nights ago. It was when her fingers returned to his face and brushed against his that scar that he finally stood knocking Katara off balance just slightly.

"No, I think you got all of it," Zuko answered trying to bring them back to earth, rolling his right shoulder then his left, then poking his side with several fingers, a sense of awe and wonder in his expression. "That's amazing."

Katara simply shrugged letting the water out of the sink, "Like I said it's a gift. La knows I do a hell of a better job than Smellerbee, but don't tell her I said that."

In the mirror she watched him put his shirt back on, mentally frowning that she wouldn't have that nice view anymore then he left bathroom to start packing for the trip home. Standing in the doorway, a thought came to her. "You know when I first met you you said girls would come in to the locker room and ask you to sign their breasts."

Zuko paused folding the shirt to give a wistful smile at the memories. It was a great gig. "Yeah?"

Tilting her head down to hide her smirk, she continued. "What would you write?"

"You know, the usual. Thanks for being a fan, Love, Zuko."

"Love?" she teased, flopping on the bed beside his duffle bag.

"Yeah, well the girls would eat it up." La, she loved that little smile.

Licking her lips and looking him square in the eyes, she asked, "What would you write on mine?"

His eyebrow quirked, "Depends on where you'd want it written."

Moving from the bed to stand before him, Katara undid the top four buttons of her blouse pushing the material aside to give him plenty of room, hardly considering hiding the white lace bra beneath. Her hand ran across the top of her full breasts. "Here."

She saw him swallow thickly as if debating finally lifting his hand, extending a single finger allowing the tip of his finger to trace across her collarbone. "To Katara, thanks for all the support," his finger ran just above her bra, "You've been such a great fan." His finger trailed over the bra, intentionally or not, it brushed across her nipples causing her to shiver in the warm room, "I couldn't have come this far without you." He paused, again debating how far to take this, finally unbuttoning the last few buttons and yanked the material from her skirt, his entire hand ran across her belly down towards the edge of the skirt. "You mean a lot to me. Sincerely, Zuko Sozinaka."

"So you are a Sozinaka?" she wondered out loud. He simply nodded and ducked his head.

He rested his hands lightly on her hips, not wanting to be too forward given his minor confession. She already knew though. She had done her research before hiring him. And she sure as hell hadn't meant to take it this far. She wasn't supposed to want him like this but La above she needed him. Right here, right now.

"You know, if I had to sign your body," she began, pulling his shirt up and over his head with no protest whatsoever from this god before her, tossing it haphazardly on the bed. Her breathe caught in her throat as a finger trailed one letter at a time over his chest and down his belly, "D" over his clavicle, "I" over his heart, "T" at the top of his abs, "T" above his belly button, and finally the "O" circled around his navel. He was nearly crazy with want and so was she. Their eyes met again, questioning, seeking, answering, then lips lowered and angled and the next thing she knew, Katara was pressed against the mattress, his hands all over her, her hands all over him. His kisses were searing wet, playful yet demanding. She felt him fumbling to unbuckle her belt so she pushed away to help get rid of the annoying thing along with the skirt and hose leaving her in nothing but the bra and panties. Zuko's mouth devoured the softness of her belly, licking and nipping, shooting waves of desire throughout her core. Kissing his way up her body, against her neck through little kisses, he finally spoke. "You don't have any plans right?"

"I was going to get a massage but I think this is a better plan," she panted, nails clawing against his shoulders, body arching into his.

"Good. Because it's been awhile and I'd really like to take my time." His breath tickled, sending a whole new wave of sensations throughout her body. Katara tried desperately to come up with some kind of witty response but all she could get out was a feeble "m'kay."

She had seen this man fight, seen him brutalize opponent after opponent, she pictured that aggression here and now, that she would be at his mercy, but to her surprise it was quite the opposite. His kisses tender along the length of her skin, his touches soft despite the calluses, his weight pleasant like a heavy blanket of masculinity. It was as though she was a delicacy and he was starved. Then again so was she. With Jet, she had been the subservient, the one time in her daily life where she didn't have to be the boss, she could be that docile little thing her people wanted her to be. It only took a few moments to realize that with this man, this beautiful, scarred, compassionate man, that it was equal. For every length of skin Zuko kissed and caressed, she reciprocated much to his delight. They explored with fingers and tongues, lips and skin. Just when she had enough foreplay, she needed more, she demanded to be fucked.

"No condom," he breathed, looking earnestly up from between her legs, lips still moist from that wonderful orgasm he had just given her, kissing the tender flesh of her thighs.

"Jet was here, yes?" she rolled away to the nightstand opening the drawer. Good ol' predictable Jet. Granted she tried to suppress the wave of anger that he had slept with another woman here, but with Zuko leaning back on his heels wiping at his mouth, sweatpants looking about ready to burst open where they tented, she couldn't complain. Between two fingers she lifted the little foil square and waved it to Zuko. Leaning forward while pushing her back, he slid his hand up her arm and grabbed the condom from her fingers all the while kissing her. Enjoying the mix of him and her in his mouth, Katara finally broke away. "Problem solved."

She expected him to strip completely naked, throw on the rubber, and fuck her senseless. Instead, he questioned if this was what she really wanted. "What do you mean? If I didn't I wouldn't be here, silly."

"No, I mean… with us. You're kind of my boss and I have a kid and Jet and we're not dating or anything and I don't like the idea of just sleeping with you. I'm not a one night stand kind of guy."

"It's not night," Katara joked, wrapping her arms around his neck and trying to pull him back on top of her. Zuko pulled away and gave her that look that said now was not the time to joke around. Sitting up across the bed from him, she pulled her knees to her chest. "Sorry. Look, Zuko. I really do like you. I think you're sweet and nice and one hell of a fighter who makes me lots of money. You have the sweetest kid I've ever met and while I never thought of doing the whole "mom" thing I do when I'm around her. Yeah, maybe it's not appropriate of us to be doing this but like I said, I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to. I have a feeling you're the same way. I don't want to take advantage of you and I don't want you to feel obligated. If you don't want to do this, we don't have to. I'm sorry if I made you- umph." It was his turn to glomp her much as she had done in the pool. Frenzy as the remaining bits of clothing were removed amid wet, hot kisses, a moment of pulling away, the rubber rolled on that thick pale member, and with a gasp he slid inside her. She loved the way he held her just so, the way he kissed wherever he could reach, the heated way he met her gaze. It had never felt this way before. This was more than just the physical and they both knew it and it shocked them both. Flipping onto her stomach to distract from the intimacy, she offered herself to him. Clutching those two round cheeks he dove in, hard then slow, fast then soft, reaching around to tease the bud at the top of her mound or roll those chocolate nipples between his fingers. A beautiful string of obscenities escaped her mouth as she raised so close to peaking. Feeling from the way his grip tightened on her backside, she thought he would come with her, instead he ordered her to turn around. "I want to see you." Those little words sent such a thrill throughout her that she gladly obeyed. Within moments, the divine rocking, testing and angling to find that perfect spot until she arched into him, clutching at those broad shoulders, digging in tight to keep from losing herself completely. His body, hot and heavy, rubbing against her breasts, his grunts and groans muted by the spot between her neck and shoulder suckled on just so that sent her spiraling in time to him pulsing within.

The outside world ceased to exist. Just their breaths tickling sensitive flesh, the erotic scent from their union heavy in the air. Light kisses and touches entranced and soothed. Only this moment until his cell phone ringing finally broke the spell. "Sorry I gotta get that," he groaned, rising from the bed to answer it. Katara smiled like a Cheshire cat, practically purring, as she watched that fine bare ass walk across the room then frowned when he yanked on underwear and then jeans. Granted he had the right idea and she twisted from the bed and searched for her clothing scattered about the floor. She was pretty sure it was getting late and she knew they needed to get to the airport to catch their flight home. It'd kind of be fun to take a regular plane like normal people rather than the APPA-6, the best private plane model available. But first, a much needed shower then home they go.

Soaping up, she heard the bathroom door open, the glass door slide, and that sultry voice ask if he could join. "Of course," she replied offering the washcloth and her breasts. Grabbing it, he ran it gently across her skin then it was Katara's turn, healing any stray injuries she missed earlier or new ones created back in the bed. Washing each other off in silence, he finally wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her in close. The hard body of his curved around her soft one so nicely.

"This changes things doesn't it?"

"Only if you want it to," she blushed despite herself. He must have liked that because he tilted her head up and kissed her again. How on earth anyone could get sick of those kisses was beyond her. That Jin chick must have been an idiot. Between that awesome little girl and this incredible man,

"Yeah, I think I do." The simple words a whisper, almost a confession, and her heart sang for the first time in years. Katara had avoided "family" for so long fearful from what had happened to her own but she knew Zuko had been hurt too. Maybe this was redemption for both of them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Modern AU. Language, some violence, occasional citrus. **

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.**

* * *

Zuko had to admit her hand felt really good in his own. The brush of her knee against his and the way her head lolled onto his shoulder, the small talk pleasant, the silence golden, as they made the eight hour flight back to Ba Sing Se. Then Katara slid her hand under the shared blanket and stroked his inner thigh, meeting his gaze, and it took more strength than a hundred men to keep from taking her right then and there, settling instead for brief kisses and longing touches. The soft, warmth of her around him earlier that day had reignited the energy that he had suppressed for far too long. It was… nice. And he wanted more.

Hand in hand, like two sated lovers back from a holiday, they made their way through the busy terminal stopping at one of the overpriced kiosks for a bite to eat. Zuko was quick to notice how suddenly her demeanor changed once they passed the security area reserved for passengers only and entered the openness of baggage claim. She was stiff, as if on guard. He tried to take her hand again to reassure her, instead she slipped past him to grab her bag and his then silently made her way outside to wait for her driver to make their way through the traffic. Fumbling in her purse for a brief moment as if trying to extend their time together, Katara smiled and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, "You should have, what, a week or so off then back to training?"

"Yeah," Zuko answered, slightly puzzled, and getting more annoyed by the minute, at this change in her. Sighing, she nodded, "So Sokka should have the information for the next bout and I'll let you know all the details. Or I can let Jet know, whatever works for you I guess."

Just about ready to ask her what the hell her problem was her driver pulled up. She held out her hand and instinctively he took it pulling her a bit closer than he should have. Only when he moved to kiss her good-bye that she turned away from him, sliding the designer shades on. An equal surge of anger and abandonment filled him in that split second and he wanted to tell her to "fuck off".

"Too many eyes," she whispered, her gaze over the rim of the glasses turning towards the two men who stood by a newspaper stand trying desperately to be inconspicuous. She knew her men well enough to know full well they were watching them and there had been more. Not that she needed protection but he was still an outsider in their world and she was their princess. He understood and he too stiffened, trying to maintain propriety.

"When will I see you again?" Zuko asked, dipping his voice low as he waved away her driver and opened the door for her, seeing her shiver as his breath hit her ear. With more interest than he should have shown, he watched her tongue dart out to lick her lips.

"Soon." She smiled again at him up over the glasses and pulled the door closed leaving Zuko in the crowd of people clamoring in and out. The two goons approached him and nudged him in the shoulder. Thankfully his ride pulled up at the same time and Iroh cast a warning glare at the men from the driver's seat. The shorter of the two made some snide comment as Zuko slipped into the waiting car, slamming the door.

"A dangerous game you play with those people, nephew," Iroh chided checking his blind spot as he pulled away from the curb.

"I know. And you're late," Zuko breathed, Iroh answering with a shrug. Turning in the passenger seat, Zuko smiled, "Hey, sweetie."

"Hi, Daddy. Did you have fun? Did you win? Was it pretty there? I got an A on my math test. And it was hard! Did you bring me anything? " Liang beamed.

OoooOoooO

As she clicked through emails, entered in cryptic numbers onto spreadsheets to track the newest shipment of weapons they acquired earlier that week and all the other business aspects of her world, she caught herself smiling in that giddy kind of schoolgirl way. Thinking back she realized that Zuko was the reason. Remembering the smell of his skin, the feel of his hands all over her especially tangled in her hair, the taste of his lips, she shivered. To her surprise though, it wasn't just the sex. She liked spending time with him. And that kid of his made thoughts of one of her own pop up for the first time in her adult life. Happily she daydreamed, even humming softly to herself, until Sokka walked in, plopped himself in the guest chair on the opposite side of her desk, put his shoes on the edge of the desk and bit into the apple.

"Have fun in Omashu? You were late coming back home." he observed. Nothing got past him, though usually he kept it to himself.

"I had some things to finish up," she grinned nonchalantly back at him, smacking the sole of his shoe with her pen. "And get your feet off my desk."

"Some_thing_ or some_one_?"

"Shut up Sokka. So what's going on? You don't usually come into my office unless something's wrong."

Sokka expertly tossed his apple core in the trash, instinctively lifting his arms in the air in victory when it made it in, then licked the remaining juices off his fingers. "Dad got word that there's some Nation folk poking their noses in our territory. Three chicks from the sound of it."

Katara leaned back in the chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "Has anyone watched them? Who are they? What are they doing?"

"No one knows," he shrugged, "Maybe your boy will know something. He's part of them."

"No he's not." The clipped words a bit more defensive than she planned.

"Not your boy or not part of them?" Sokka winked, half big brother teasing, half serious. Katara glared daggers at him. Her private life was none of his business. Lifting heavily from the chair, Sokka paused in the doorway running his hand through his hair. "Maybe you should ask him what he knows."

"He won't know anything Sokka. He's not part of it."

"You and I both know, once in, always in. He'll never _not_ be part of it. I'll talk to Suki though. See if her people can put some extra eyes on them. Find out what they're doing here. Hopefully it's nothing but better safe than sorry." With that he was gone, leaving Katara to stew in this information. Didn't it figure? Just when things were going along great something had to come and screw it all up. Maybe these girls were nothing. Hookers sent to test the waters of Ba Sing Se so to speak? Her gut told her otherwise. She knew from listening to her father and those above her that The Nation was looking to expand. Unfortunately they would be stepping on territory long established and well earned and she'd be damned if they got past her.

Maybe a visit with the firebender was in order. The thought made her shiver in anticipation.

OoooOoooO

He had been back less than a week and thanks to Katara's healing back at the hotel in Omashu, his "recovery time" was spent being a regular dad, like before all this fighting nonsense. Only that the large paychecks made extracurricular activities easier to come by. Like the tsungi horn lessons Liang insisted on, and ballet, and naturally the new bike and latest Barbie set, and, short of the ostrich-pony she asked for, Zuko was more than happy to give her these things. They had gone to a nice daddy-daughter dinner at her favorite restaurant earlier in that evening and were curled up on the couch watching the movie they rented eating ice cream. About half way through the movie, in mid-scoop, there was a knock on the door. Liang practically slammed her bowl on the coffee table and bounded to the door. "It's Katara!" she happily exclaimed, yanking the Water Tribe woman by the hand to join them in the living room.

It had been days since he had seen her, having spoken to her on the phone only twice since their return home, and as much as he hated to admit it but he missed her. Yes, the sex had been great, but he missed that closeness to another body, the feel of a feminine form next to him, and seeing her smile. He couldn't get enough of that smile. And there it was now as she apologized for not calling before coming over, "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by."

Zuko knew she was lying- there was no reason whatsoever for her to be in the Lower Ring- but he didn't care. He rose from the couch, grabbing his bowl and Liang's to put in the sink offering Katara a bowl as well to which she declined. She looked fabulous as always, pencil skirt, button-down shirt opened at the top exposing her collar. He couldn't help but remember the way that skin smelled and tasted and what it had led to before. Liang skipped back to the living room announcing to Katara that she needed to stay and watch the movie with them, "If Dad doesn't mind?"

Katara turned to Zuko and when he was sure Liang wasn't watching he leaned in to sneak a kiss to which Katara gladly returned. "I'd love to watch the movie."

Once the movie was over, Liang insisted they watch another one which after less than half an hour she was snoring softly against her father's side. Maneuvering out from under her, Zuko lifted her up and carried her to bed. Softly closing the bedroom door behind him, he saw Katara's legs tucked under her and a humored look on her face.

"What?"

"Nothing," she smiled. He must have had a look that encouraged her though because she snorted out a laugh. "It's just, you know, in public you're kind of this hard ass and here… you're not. It's kind of sweet."

"Yeah, well, I've got more years of doing this than fighting." Katara murmured an "hmm" and snuggled close to him. Instinctively he put his arm around her and before he could stop the words, they spilled out. "I'm glad you came over."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." If that look she gave him didn't beg for him to kiss her then he was rustier than he thought. Tilting his head, he met her lips. He felt her smile against him, meeting his kiss with her own, then crawling onto his lap. Like a pair of horny teenagers, they make out on the couch, his hand crawling up the sides of her shirt to play with her breasts over her bra. Her fingernails lightly scraped across his scalp sending electricity down to the tips of his toes. Her hips swirled and ground against the bulge straining his jeans and he moaned into her kiss with each rotation. He wanted her so bad and he whispered this against the spot between her neck and ear.

"Where's your bedroom?" she husked back through little pants as he suckled on her earlobe.

"We're on it." Zuko feels her pull away slightly to give him a strange look. "It's only a one-bedroom and Liang got the room."

Katara arched her eyebrow as if not believing him then shrugged. "Are you busy tomorrow?"

"I don't think so. Liang's off tomorrow from school and I don't have to see Toph till Tuesday. Why?"

"Because I have a surprise for you."

"I don't like surprises."

"Yeah, well, you'll like this one. Trust me." She smiled again at him and glanced around the room. "How quiet can you be?"

Zuko coughed out a laugh, "Not tonight. I don't want Liang walking in. Sorry." It had happened before and when she was little it was easy to lie. Now it would be a little more challenging. Leaning up, he kissed that pout right off Katara's face. "You're not used to being told 'no' are you?"

Katara giggled wrapping her arms back around his neck, "It's been a while. Now kiss me, you fool." He didn't have to be asked twice.

OoooOoooO

"Where are we going?" Liang's nose pressed against the Lexus' window, watching an opulent world open up. Houses bigger than their entire apartment complex back home, wealth oozing from every pore of this neighborhood. For Zuko, while it had been a long time, he knew this world. Part of him glad to be back in it, feeling it was due to him for his rich bloodline. The other part worried.

Katara pulls up the drive way and turns off the car. She turns to Zuko and Liang. "Welcome home."

"What?" Zuko is more than puzzled.

Katara pulled her keys from the ignition and opened the door with father and daughter following after her as she made her way to the finely crafted front door.

"It's got five bedrooms, four and half baths, three car garage. Bonus room upstairs that would be perfect for an exercise room. Swimming pool," she began listing off all the amenities of the house as if she were a real estate agent, heels clicking against the fine hard wood floors, sliding her sunglasses up into her hair and setting her Louis Vuittan bag on the granite countertop. She ran her hand over the fine black leather sofa, "I took the liberty of furnishing it for you. I wasn't quite sure if it was your style or not but I have an arrangement with the furniture showroom so we can always exchange if you don't like it. Sokka insisted on the 52" plasma TV and all the other electronic stuffs and the pool table and something about a man cave. Personally, I don't see the point, but he's a guy and he says all men must have things like that."

She turned to face a stunned Zuko. Liang was already racing from room to room "oohing" and "aahing" over everything. "Why?" he asked.

"Because that ratty apartment of yours is hardly adequate for parties and social engagements fitting a man of your status now."

"I don't party."

"Well, you don't have a choice. You have to schmooze with the best of them if you want to keep on rising. Plus I'd like to have a nice comfy bed to share with you when I sleep over. That futon killed my back."

Zuko approached Katara and lightly rested his hand on hers. "Thank you." His words hardly above a whisper. He lowered his head and was a breath away from her lips. The sensible side of her brain was kicked to the curb as she rose to meet him halfway.

"Dad! I have a purple bedroom! And a chandelier! It's awesome."

Katara's eyes shifted around the room finally settling in his. She knew that look. It was the same one she recalled from years earlier. "Yeah, well," she swallowed thickly, and then patted him on the cheek. "I can't have my star living in poverty. Now let's check out the rest of the place."

Later that night, after having initiated his king-sized bed curled against his side playing with his fingers that rested on his chest.

"You know, growing up we didn't have much. We lived in a place kind of like where you used to live. Except there was four of us. Dad was just starting out in the organization and I guess he pissed off the wrong person or people or whatever because they came after us."

"Who?"

"The Nation." He stiffened against her and she felt it because she pulled away and sat up on her elbow to look down at him. Her expression softened to something he couldn't quite describe. Not pity, not humor, almost… understanding. "I know that's where you come from. I know those are your people-"

"They are not my people," he interrupted, a bit more brusquely than he intended. She simply smiled the comment away and continued snuggling back into his side, "I know. Maybe not anymore, but once in, always in right? It's how it is and there's not a La-damned thing we can do about that other than live as best we can, use who we need to use, and hope that it doesn't hurt the people we care about."

His fingers ran along her bicep and his eyes bored into the ceiling. He could tell that there was more that she wanted to say but was having a hard time figuring out how to say it.

"Zuko," she sighed heavily, "There's a rumor that a couple Nation groups have infiltrated the city."

"Who?" Instantly he was on guard. Again.

"We don't know. Sokka is keeping tabs on them and having Suki do the same." He saw her bite her lip. For the first time in the nearly year he had known her, she seemed nervous. "If you knew anything, you'd tell me right?"

Zuko tilted his head and narrowed his good eye at her, "You think I'm part of them don't you?"

"I never said that."

"But that's what you think." He pushed away from her and headed for the bathroom.

"I never said that," she repeated, slipping on his t-shirt and following him. "It's just we need to know why they're here, what they want, and I guess I figured since you were part of them, you'd know."

"I don't have a fucking clue, okay. They can all go to hell for all I care. And if they knew I was here, well, let's just say it'll be a really bad day for everyone."

He could see the wheels turning in her head trying to figure him out. "What happened?"

Zuko gripped the edge of the bathroom counter tight. For too many years he had pushed that part of his history away. Now if her intel was right and Nation people were here it was only a matter of time before they found him. It was all Katara's fault. He'd been thinking with his dick and not his head. He should have said no, to the fighting, to the rise in social status, to the publicity, to her. Just like Uncle always said, he never thought things through.

He felt her gentle hand touch his shoulder and slowly he turned to meet her gaze in the mirror. She looked distressed and it killed him a little bit that he had caused it. She repeated herself. "I know about the bounty even though it's so old now that most people have forgotten about it. What happened? I can help you. Please, let me help you."

For a split second he almost believed her. He'd been alone scraping by in this world, keeping everyone at arms length, even his beloved Uncle, then she pressed her fingers against his scar and he believed her. Falling into her open arms, he began.

"I was 12…"

* * *

_AN: Thanks to everyone for reviewing, and faving and following despite my spotty updates to this thing. Hopefully I can find my muse to get it finished off. _


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Modern AU. Language, some violence, occasional citrus. **

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.**

* * *

In the sliver of moonlight that seeped through the curtains, Katara, hands tucked under her pillow, watched Zuko sleep. The sinfully soft cotton sheets she had personally chosen for his bed tangled around the pair barely covering their still warm parts. She admired the curve of his jaw with a day's worth of growth darkening the pale skin, the cute way his black hair fell into his now closed amber eyes, the shape of his nose atop those sensuous lips that were simply magical against her own. He looked peaceful as though telling her- or maybe just telling _some_one- his past took a weight off his shoulders. Feeling a strong need to touch him, she gingerly passed the tips of her fingers along the stubble, tucking that stray strand of hair past the ruined ear and trailing her thumb against his scar amazed at its cool, wrinkled texture. His face scrunched angrily then relaxed and nudged against her palm, as though savoring her touch.

She always had a hard time sleeping at night but now it was more that she wanted to rush out of the comfort of his bed and singlehandedly take down all those Nation bastards. It was one thing to destroy your enemy as they had when they came after her mother all those years ago. It was quite another to maim one of your own for no apparent reason. He had been through so much in his fairly young life and Katara felt as if it should be her burden as well. The moment she had laid eyes on him in that dank, disgusting stadium nearly a year ago she knew he would be hers. Yes, part of it was the business aspect. He was a great fighter and had earned them tons of cash. But it was almost like something deeper. As though they had been reunited after lifetimes apart. And it was about time they did.

Antsy, Katara finally slipped from the sheets, throwing on his t-shirt and her panties, and going down to the kitchen to get a little post-coital snack of leftover pizza. Her brain was going a mile a minute, thinking and thinking of what to do. Not that there was really anything she could do. She could hardly start a war over something so trivial, something that had happened a lifetime ago. She needed a catalyst. Like say… the three Nation women Sokka had told her about. Belly full, ideas twirling about, Katara headed back upstairs to join her lover.

Turning the corner just before Zuko's room, she heard a noise in Liang's. Poking her head in the door, she found the little girl on the floor playing with the dolls. Knocking lightly on the door, Katara quietly called out, "What are you doing up? It's really late."

Liang whipped around knowing she had been caught up way past her bed time. Fast as a bolt, she hopped back into bed and tried to pretend like she'd been there the whole time. Katara smiled, making her way across the room to tuck the girl in properly.

"It's too quiet here and I couldn't sleep." Katara prayed it wasn't so quiet that she had heard the activities in her father's room just an hour earlier. "I kept hearing a dog barking, and then some kind of like howling noise. But there's no sirens or people."

Katara agreed, telling Liang that she must have been about this same age when her family moved from the city to their posh house in the Upper Ring. There was some comfort in always hearing the sounds of the city and here there was none of that. Arranging the vibrantly colored comforter under her chin and the stuffed animals next to her arms, Katara asked, "Comfy?"

Liang nodded, shifting down into the pillows. "Is this really where we're going to live?"

Brushing back a strand of hair that fell at the same angles as her father's, Katara began to rub the girl's forehead much as her own mother used to rub hers. "Yup. Is that okay?" She watched diligently as the girl's eyes slipped closed.

Liang responded with a yawn and a nod. "I like it here. It's pretty."

"Good. Just what I hoped for," Katara smiled.

"What about my school? And all my friends?"

"Well, you've only got about a month or two left of school, then you'll transfer over. This area has the best schools in the city. And your friends are always welcome. We can go pick them up if we have to."

Seeming sated with that answer, the girl was battling staying awake and falling back asleep so Katara kept on rubbing her forehead and began humming the lullaby her mother had sung to her. Once Liang started snoring Katara took her cue and lifted from the bed giving a small peck on the top of the girl's head. Just as she was almost out of the room, closing the door behind her, she heard Liang ask, clear as day. "Will you live here too?"

"What do you mean?"

"My dad really likes you. And I really like you. And I never had a mom before and you seem really good at it. It'd be nice to have a mom." Katara met the honest eyes of the child and her heart clinched.

Returning to sit on the edge of Liang's bed, Katara was stunned. "You never had a mom?"

Liang sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Nope. She left when I was real little. I get a card on my birthday but I never seen her. Dad has a picture of her from before I was born and she's really pretty. He says I look a lot like her." Suddenly, Liang's mood went from factual to angry, pulling at an imaginary thread on the comforter. "Girls are supposed to have moms that braid their hair and show them how to do girly stuff. It's weird. Most of my friends don't have dads and I'm the only without a mom. It's not fair."

It wasn't fair. To be left without a parent. Katara knew all too well what life was like without a mom, especially once puberty came around, but she had the advantage of having had the time with Kya. Liang didn't have that. Sure there had been women here and there but never anyone around for significant amounts of time. Drawing the seven-year-old into her arms, Katara made a solemn promise to Liang that she would be there. "Even if things don't work out between me and your dad, I'd really like for us to be friends. Deal?"

That smile Katara received was the brightest smile she had ever seen. "Deal!" Tucking her back under the covers though, Liang spoke up. "Why wouldn't things work out with you and Dad? You're supposed to be together." And with that the girl passed out leaving Katara blinking in wonder at the seeming prediction of a seven-year-old.

OoooOoooO

A week had gone by living in their new home. Katara had worked with precision to see his move as simple and painless as possible, even doing the shopping for the household things with Liang's help of course.

Zuko awoke having had the best night's sleep he had in a long time despite having returned to training and being at Toph's mercy for eight hours straight then attending some sort of publicity event. It was weird to say the least. They were surrounded by celebrities- actors and musicians- and other fighters, many of them having lost at his hands, and wrestlers from around the Earth Kingdom. Katara had said he'd have to schmooze and he did, with her help of course. There had been a couple reporters who questioned his next big bout, his relationship with his manager, and other personal questions that Katara had seemed to know all the answers to or made them up as she went along. She was a brilliant little devil and he was certainly glad she was on his side.

For several moments he watched the waterbender sleep. How had this happened? How on earth did he get this lucky to have such an attractive- granted deadly, no doubt- woman in his bed? Someone for the first time he felt at ease with? Someone who took a sincere interest in his life, his world, without any requests for something in return? Other than fighting of course, but he was already doing that, and now, thanks in part to her, he was getting better pay for it. And look at him, finally in a respectable home, in a respectable neighborhood, where he felt his daughter can finally be safe. _Thank you_, he thought, tucking a strand of hair away from her face.

Seeing that Katara wasn't going to be waking any time soon despite his efforts to rouse her, he rose from the bed taking note of Katara's dress that had looked ridiculously hot on her last night but looked even better on his floor, took a quick shower, and padded downstairs to start breakfast. The kitchen was monstrous, easily half the size of his old apartment, with more cabinets and counters than he knew what to do with. Of course he had a pretty good idea for what he wanted to do with some of it and involved Katara in an apron and nothing else. Speaking of Katara, he felt her arms around his waist and a tip toe up to his cheek. "Good morning. Coffee?" Having no other clothes, she was in last night's dress and with still tousled hair from their "after party", Zuko seriously contemplated forgetting breakfast entirely and filling up on other yummy things.

"Please," he answered with a kiss of his own. He felt her eyes on him as he prepped the eggs and she made the coffee. Inching closer and closer with coffee mug in hand, inspecting his progress with a critical eye. Finally standing right next to him she sighed loudly. "Let me help."

"Okay. But this is my kitchen and I've got a system," motioning his hands to indicate his domain.

She grabbed the spoon out of his hand, trying to shove Zuko out of the way with her hip, "Yeah, well your system needs less salt. Shove over."

With Katara busy cooking in an evening gown and Zuko beside her fighting to get in and do things himself, Liang sat at the little breakfast table watching the two grown-ups with amusement. Suddenly getting a brilliant idea, she raced upstairs to her room coming out a few moments later in her nicest dress, clip on earrings and the plastic tiara from her princess dress up set. Totally oblivious to the adult's expressions at her attire, she proceeded to set the table for breakfast humming quietly to herself.

Zuko paused in mid scoop questioning his daughter's dress. "Uh, Li. Why are you dressed like that?"

"Well Katara is dressed up so I thought we were having a princess breakfast." Katara nearly spewed out her coffee and hid her laugh behind her hand. Zuko blubbered a bit unsure of how to answer. Finally shaking his head, and telling everyone to eat up.

It was nice having a nice little family meal, Zuko decided he liked this. It felt like home. Then Katara had to leave for "business", Liang had her ballet lessons to get to and Jet had invited him yesterday to meet up with him over coffee in a couple hours. He loved his new SUV Katara had bought for him. It was a far cry from the little Ford POS inherited from Uncle that he used to drive.

He pulled the gorgeous beast into the parking spot of the coffeehouse, leaving his sunglasses on, he found Jet already waiting for him. The two men had only briefly spoken since Omashu, nearly two weeks ago as if Jet was well aware of what happened since that time. Jet knew. He always knew. But he kept his mouth shut about Zuko and Katara. It had been a bit heartbreaking- no, more like losing something comforting - when they had split up. In the end though, it had been for the best for everyone. Zuko needed a woman to take care of him, despite his insistence that he didn't, and someone to take care of right back. For Jet, granted the sex had been great, but he would never be good enough for her and she would never be good enough for him.

"Look no hard feelings, man," Jet placated, offering out his hand. Zuko took it and managed to get pulled in for a brief man hug. "It's all good," Zuko nodded, settling into the chair at the little table. Then Zuko watched as Jet's eyes lit in only that way his could. Clapping Zuko on the back, Jet grinned like a fool. "Besides, I met someone. She's fucking amazing. I wanted you to meet her so she'll be here in a little bit." It didn't surprise Zuko one bit that he already had a new girlfriend. He was surprised about the way he talked about her. Like he had met his soul mate or something. Across the room he noticed a small gaggle of girls who were whispering and pointing his way. The quickest flair of anger hit thinking it was his scar they were laughing at before he realized that he was some kind of celebrity now and that made him very attractive apparently. Jet watched amused as they cautiously approached them.

The prettiest of the group finally said, "Excuse me. I don't mean to bug you but are you Zuko Long?"

Before Zuko could answer, Jet laughed boisterously. "Of course ladies. This is the greatest fighter of our generation and the hottest guy you will ever meet."

Zuko had to fight back his blush which seemed to endear him more to the teenage girls. "Can we get your autograph?" He signed napkins and posed for their cell phone cameras and in the midst of all the attention Zuko caught a pair of eyes that he hadn't seen since he was 13 years old. Jet perked up and greeted with her with more affection than Zuko had ever given anyone. She watched with great interest as the girls squealed and giggled their way outside.

She definitely wasn't the little girl he remembered. Her jet black hair fell almost to her butt and speaking of, damn! He could bounce a coin off it. Her creamy skin exposed in the black off shoulder top. It seemed like Jet could hardly keep his hands off the creamy expanse of skin on her bare arms. The skintight trousers highlighted the sinful length of her legs that ended in high-heeled boots. Definitely not the little girl he remembered.

"Zuko, I'd like you to meet Mai," Jet beamed. Mai held out her darkly manicured hand and keeping up appearances, Zuko took it, puzzled. He watched her slide into the seat and turn to Jet. "Can you please get me a breve? Two sugars. Thanks," her smile dazzlingly killer. Jet kissed her on her painted red lips and gladly went to the counter.

Zuko glared daggers at her. Mai simply placed her hands in her lap and met his harsh gaze with one more genial. "It's good to see you again Zuko. It's been a long time."

"Yeah right."

"No seriously. You look good." He noted the way she blushed just slightly. He remembered how much she had liked him when they were kids, before all the bad things started happening after his mother died. Despite his malicious sister, her friends on the other hand were totally opposite. Ty Lee had been a bouncy little thing with pigtails and tiny chip in her front tooth that no one else seemed to notice. Mai, reserved around others except him, cute even back then and hot now as an adult. Their world was tight and friends were hard to come by. As the boy he had been expected to watch and learn and be badass from a young age. His friends were books, tutors, and mastering his bending. Unfortunately he wasn't very good at it and it didn't help that Mother coddled him and Father demeaned him. It was a blow to the male ego to be called worse than a girl, like his sister, who was "perfect in every way". The only interaction with kids his own age had been when Azula's friends came over. Another blow to the male ego to always be around girls. Except that these girls were badass in their own ways. Ty Lee taught him acrobatics, Mai knives and sword play. It was hard for his little prepubescent brain not to be attracted to them, even when they were kicking his ass.

Mai continued mindlessly playing with the napkin holder, "And you've been busy from what I've heard. You have a kid?"

He tried to keep Liang away from things in his messed up life but once again she was dragged back in. "Yeah," Zuko bristled, folding his arms across his chest defensively, "What are you doing here?"

"Jet invited me for coffee. Said he had someone he wanted me meet. I guess he likes you a lot that he needs your approval for a girlfriend or something." She almost snorted and picked a bite off Jet's muffin left behind popping it in her mouth.

"Bullshit. Why are you really here? Where's Azula?" He knew all too well where Mai was, Azula was not far behind. And if Azula was nearby, well then he might be fucked.

Mai made a show of rolling her eyes. "Around. Don't worry, Zuko. We're not here for you."

"What are you here for?"

"To test the waters so to speak. You know how it is. It's no big deal."

Zuko wanted to explode. His hands started shaking and heating to unreasonable temperature. He knew she was lying. She had the same tell as when she was a kid.

Just then Jet came back and they have to go back to pretending to be strangers. Jet seemed smitten, and, despite her icy exterior, she seemed pretty smitten too. This was just too bizarre. Not because his best friends seemed to be dating an old childhood friend, but what her presence meant. Katara had been right about the Nation girls. Mai was the proof. He was angry. Really angry. He had lived peacefully in Ba Sing Se since he was 13 without the ominous presence of his family and their dealings and like a bolt of lightning from above they were back. He felt an extreme urge to hit something. So he politely excused himself so he could beat the stuffing out of a punching bag.

Shoving on his coat and turning to leave the new couple, Mai's voice, sultry to a lesser trained ear, called to him "It was good meeting you, Zuko. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around."

Fuck.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara, vague Mai/Jet**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Modern AU. Language, some violence, occasional citrus. **

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.**

oooOOOoooOOOooo

Early on Dad had taught her how to spot a good cop and a bad cop and from the fools who had just entered pointing in her direction she could just _tell_ they were definitely bad cops. Katara had left Zuko's place earlier that morning, having an early lunch at her favorite café with her brother. After some shopping she was supposed to pick up Liang from school then meet up with Zuko for dinner and a movie. It was supposed to be just an ordinary day.

"What is this?" Katara whispered to Sokka discreetly nodding their way over the rim of her coffee cup. "Cops?"

He fake yawned and stretched to get a glimpse of the three men then went back to dunking his French fries in ranch dressing. "Yup."

"Doesn't Suki handle this?"

"Yeah, but she hasn't said anything about any investigations. And she's pretty good about that. Something's not right." Katara was quite surprised at even his confusion.

The leader sauntered her way rolling a toothpick between his chapped lips, the second guy looked like an explosion waiting to happen, and the third, a baby-faced kid that couldn't have been much older than herself, seemed to be tagging along for fun. It was easy to tell they were on someone's payroll and it wasn't the state's that paid them to "protect and serve". They flashed their badges and introduced themselves.

Cool with a bit of that flirtatious charm that did usually did wonders for her, Katara lifted her drink to the approaching lawman. "Good morning, officers. Joining me for coffee?" She motioned for a passing waitress to serve her "guests".

The lead and the second slid into the opposite seats while the third pulled up a chair from another table, sitting in it backwards. "We're here on business."

"Oh?" Katara maintained a neutral expression. "How can I help you gentlemen?"

"I hear a shipment of illegal goods got picked up the other day. You wouldn't know anything about it would you?"

"Why would I know about illegal goods? I'm just a simple business woman." She honestly hadn't heard anything about any dealings with goods in almost a month. The SWT's more recent dealings were of a real estate and/or laundering nature

The main guy reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of smokes, lighting one slowly, deliberately giving her time to change her answer. This was a non-smoking establishment, so to smoke here was as if he was telling her that he had the power, no her. "Cut the bullshit, Ms. Karuk. We know what your family does and we want to know about the shipment."

Katara narrowed her eyes at the detective, leisurely sipping her coffee while she mulled over the situation at hand. Something was off. He was looking for information but not for the reasons he was saying. There was more to this. While not outright saying it, it was painfully obvious who they were talking about. But who wanted the information?

Sokka spoke up, casually leaning back in his seat. He had picked up on the vibe also. "Who's paying you?"

"Excuse me?" baby lackey questioned.

"You heard him. Who's paying you? You're cops, obviously," Katara took another sip from her cup then leaned in dangerously close to the men on the other side of the table, "but, who _owns_ you? Someone sent you here and I'm thinking it wasn't the big police chief downtown and you don't look smart enough to be part of the Dai Li, so I want to know who?"

The second in command leaned forward and roughly grabbed Katara's wrist pulling her drink away. "Look, bitch, we want information on the fucking goods and you're going to give it to us."

While not an intimidating man by any stretch of the imagination when it came to family no one messes with Sokka's. "You don't touch her. Got it? You want to talk, fine, but lay a hand on her again and I'll break your fucking hand. What do you want to know?"

The lead cop smiled like a Cheshire Cat. He must have thought the siblings were stupid. No, they just knew how to talk to these guys, make it seem like they were being helpful. "We got word that someone you may know has been taking toys from the other children."

"What kind of 'toys'?" Sokka questioned, popping another fry in his mouth.

"The expensive kind that were supposed to go to some very exclusive children," the second replied.

The siblings looked sideways at each other, "We don't know anything about that. Even if we did, we wouldn't say anything. We're not stupid."

The leader laughed loudly, too loudly, "No, no, no. I know you're not that dumb. But someone you may know isn't so smart. See, we know one of your "associates" who has a history of taking things that don't belong to him, especially Nation things, well we know he was in the area the night it disappeared and we think that he was involved. We just need to know where to find him so we can ask him some questions."

_You stupid little shit, Jet!_ Katara thought vehemently. He was at it again. She had told him a long time ago to knock it off. "Yeah right," Katara snorted.

Before one of the siblings could answer, the second guy licked his lips and took a long hard look at Katara as if undressing her with his eyes, his voice so vile that Katara mentally shuddered in disgust, "Oh, I think you in particular know him. I've heard you know him very well. I guess even rich bitches like you can't keep your legs closed for bad boys like him."

Katara glared, dabbing the sides of her mouth with the napkin, tossing it on the plate a bit harder than she should have. "My personal life is no one's business, let alone a greasy, asshole such as you. Now if we're done here, good day." She rose from the table and walked away before she did something stupid, Sokka following suit.

Behind her baby lackey called out, "Just tell your boy that if he messes up again, he won't get another chance."

Outside the café, Sokka slipped on his sunglasses, keeping a vigilant eye on the door to the restaurant. "They were talking about Jet, weren't they?"

"Probably," she sighed, digging in her purse for her keys. Katara concluded that those assholes in there were a cover to find him. Katara knew he had a history of theft, hell it was one of the many things he was very, very good at.

"Find out what he's up to, baby sister, before he gets us all pinched."

This was not how she wanted to spend her day. She had better things to do than damage control but from the way those cops were talking Jet might have gotten in too deep.

Banging loudly on Jet's apartment door she waited for a good ten minutes until he finally answered, bare-chested with jeans hanging nicely off his hips, hair still sopping wet, and towel around his shoulders.

"What the hell have you been doing?" she barked, storming into his apartment throwing her purse onto his couch.

"Hi, nice to see you too Katara. It's been a while," Jet laughed, finishing toweling off his hair and slipping on a t-shirt.

"Don't give me that. What have you been doing?"

He gave that playboy smile that he had mastered ages ago, "Do you really want to know? Wanna join in or something?"

Katara crossed her arms over her chest and gave him the look. It was then that a strikingly beautiful woman came out of his bedroom. Her long black hair was still a bit tousled, her amber eyes, despite being lined in black, still a bit perky. "Hello?" the woman said her voice like smoke and sex.

Katara rolled her eyes. Figured. Jet noticed this too and just smiled. "Mai, this is Katara. Katara, this-," he wrapped his arm around the other woman and kissed her a bit longer than he should have, "… this is Mai."

"Hi," Mai replied barely actually acknowledging Katara, too engrossed in Jet's attentions. She was quick to pick up that this woman was high class, born into it even, from the manicured nails and diamond bracelet to the cut of her clothes. This was not the normal bar flies he'd bring home and the lusty way he watched her told her that there was something there that they as a couple had never had.

Wiping the edges of his lips after the couple finally stopped sucking each other's faces, Jet patted Mai's butt playfully. "Hey, baby, why don't you wait in the other room while I talk to my friend here?"

Mai rolled her eyes, "No thanks. I've got to get back to my hotel. I'll see you tonight though."

"Just try and stop me," he kissed her again. Katara watched as his eyes went from –was that dreamy? - to serious business as Mai closed the front door behind her.

"So what the hell is this about?" Jet demanded opening the fridge door to get a beer.

Katara broke down about the info from the dirty cops.

"It's no big deal," he tried to pass off. While he didn't go into full detail he summarized that he managed to smuggle a small shipment of goods from a warehouse in the Middle Ring, selling the goods to a "trader" who was "visiting" from Omashu.

"No big deal? Jet these guys practically want you dead."

"I was rusty that's all. You know I'm better than that. Next time will be much better."

Katara pinched the bridge of her nose only to have Jet laugh at her. "What's so funny?" she snapped.

"You and Zuko must be really close now. You're doing the same stressed out, nose-pinchy thing." He held her gaze as he downed half the beer. "Seriously though, it's no big deal. Besides Mai helped me out."

"What?"

"Yeah. She knows where all the goods are. I think they might be her people or something but she really could care less. It was a fun adventure for both of us during and after, if you know what I mean." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"What is wrong with you, Jet? Can't you be serious about this? Zuko's so close to getting the championship and if you start fucking around it could ruin it for everyone! You need to start thinking less with your dick and more with your brain!"

Jet cradled the bottle between his thighs staring down at it sourly, "I'm always fucking serious. You know, it's not always about the money. Zuko gets the thrill when he fights. He won't admit it of course, but he loves it. You get the thrill from doing your "job", little miss mobster chick. Don't deny it, I know you too well," he added when Katara opened her mouth in protest. "Well, stealing shit is my thrill. It's about that rush." His voice softened, taking a tone Katara could honestly say she'd never heard before he added, "Plus, I like Mai. A lot. She's just… like me. It's nice that finally someone gets me. I know I'm a hard nut to crack but damn if she didn't do it."

Katara blinked a moment, thinking this wasn't all about getting laid, or the final stages of the championship. It was life. It was his life. An orphan turned hoodlum stuck trying to claw his way out of his stagnant life. Granted the means weren't necessarily positive but the ends were paying them all in ways no one expected. Katara cautiously approached him, reaching out she touched his hand when he didn't react negatively she wrapped her arms around his waist hugging him as a friend. "I'm glad you're happy. Heavens know you deserve it. But I'm begging you to stop until everything's done. Please?"

He couldn't guarantee he would, but he didn't guarantee he wouldn't. "Besides I gotta get Zuko ready for the big match next Saturday. I don't think Toph is giving us much wiggle room for a life, so there is that."

OoooOoooOoooO

_Not again!_ He takes a punch square to the left side again. Zuko knows it's a target for the opponents, unsure of what its impact is on his fighting. Another blow lands and frustrated Zuko stepped back to shake away the cobwebs. Oh, hell no. Jab left, jab right, hook, side sweep. He's down on the ground and Zuko follows. Blow after blow lands on the opponent's head. He's trying to block. Trying to get out from under Zuko to no avail. Then the ref rings the bell and he has to get off. Zuko stalks to his side of the ring. Longshot squirts the water into his mouth. The first he swishes then spits out the blood, the second he swallows. Zuko only vaguely hears Toph as she wipes away the blood seeping at the fresh gash above his left eye just above the scar, "What's your problem? Every fucking time a hit comes from the left you take it. Are you blind or something?"

Shut up. He needs to focus his attention, not worry about a little thing like his near blindness on that side. He'd been damn good at keeping that secret for so long. _"Show no weakness! Show no mercy!_" his father's voice echoed in his memories. Show. No. Weakness. The bell dings. Round four, punk. Let's do this. Chomping on the mouth guard like a rabid ostrich-horse, he watches and waits. The other guy is tentative now. Good. He doesn't know what Zuko intends to do. He tries a jab then a sloppy hook that Zuko easily dodges. How'd this idiot get this far? After he throws a punch dude leaves his flank wide open. He's skittish yet bulky obviously using his size as an intimidation factor. As well as the array of tattoos made to intimidate. Sorry dude, evil looking badger-moles aren't nearly as intimidating as one might think. _Show no mercy._ He's wide open, again. Now! Head, body, head, body that drives the opponent backwards several feet griping his ribs. Must have cracked a rib. Normally Zuko was oblivious to the crowd, but something caught his attention just off the other guy's shoulder. A pair of eyes that he hadn't seen in years. Was that really-? BAM! It was just the distraction the opponent needed. He roared forward knocking Zuko backward landing with a heavy thud, his head bouncing off the mat. Stupid, stupid, stupid. That's what he got for not focusing on the task at hand. Zuko is surrounded by the sheer mass of his opponent. He puts Zuko in an arm bar, choking him out. Using his legs for leverage he was suddenly thankful for all the training that Toph had put in to improve his groundwork because he was able to break free. Bouncing backwards he put some distance between them. He must have landed on his ankle just so because it sent a searing pain shooting up his leg. Breathe through it. Push past. Show no weakness. _Think. Think. What's next? He's going to tap his gloves twice then swing wide with a hook._ And, on cue, he did leaving him wide open. His footwork was sloppy, he was off balance, and again Zuko dropped him to the mat. Ground and pound. Ground and pound. Take that.

Ding!

"Almost there, man! Keep him off you and it'll be in the bag. Doin' okay?" Jet asks, pressing the chilled enswell against the bruises starting to form in an attempt to reduce them as quickly as possible. Zuko met his friend's eyes. "Perfect."

Jet grinned and passed the mouth guard back to Zuko. "That's my boy. Now get out there and end it."

Ding!

The opponent was tired and truthfully so was Zuko. Never give up. _For Liang_. No mercy. _For Uncle._ No weakness. _For… Katara?_

The roar of the crowd pumps him on to finish what he started. And within the first minute, 23 seconds of the sixth and final round a knockout makes Zuko one fight away from being the middleweight champion of the world.

He searched for those eyes again but like he suspected they were gone. Jet pulls him in for a hug, lifting him in the air. "Hell yeah! You did it, you crazy bastard. That's my boy!"

In the locker room after Zuko is declared the winner by unanimous decision, the doctors check him out. Yeah, his ankle hurts. That injury from way back reared its ugly head earlier in the match. Yeah, the cut above his eye got bandaged. No concussions, no major injuries. Just the normal cuts, bruises, and sprains that came with the job. He wished Katara was here. He could use her smile and healing hands. She had left his place nearly four mornings ago, saying she had business to attend to and she wasn't sure when she'd be back. Granted she had called before the fight wishing him luck, saying how much she missed him, kisses, hugs, should be back tonight, etc, etc.

Letting the hot water in the shower wash away the sweat and blood, he had to admit he did like the fight. It was like he could be a different person, like an alter-ego. He was able to let loose and channel the inner demons into punches and kicks. At times it was hard to switch that side off until he'd open his locker and see the picture of his little girl. That sunny face was enough to bring any strong guy to his knees. Despite her rough origins, she was a little blessing that had kept him grounded over the years.

Zuko finished up his shower, dressing quickly in jeans and a hoodie, took a deep breath, and went through his least favorite part. He wasn't too keen on all the attention but it was part of the job. Luckily Jet was waiting for him to help out with the post-fight interviews, and then he made his rounds signing autographs, posing for cameras, letting the fan girls kiss and hug him along with the occasional proposition for a "fun time", the usual. But he had a girl to go home to and another one on the way- soon he hoped.

"Daddy!" Liang, in her pink pajamas and messy ponytail, ran up and hugged him tightly as soon as he slammed his car door shut and pressed the button to close the garage door. He had to bite back a grimace when she squeezed against the bruise on his rib cage. "We watched you on TV. That was so cool!"

"Thanks," he said leading Liang inside the house. "But it's way too late for you to be up. Let's get you to bed, kiddo."

"But it's Saturday. I don't have school or anything."

"It's nearly midnight. Where's Uncle?"

"Asleep in the recliner," Liang helped drag Zuko's workout bag into the hallway while Zuko shook Iroh's shoulder to wake the slumbering old man. After a moment to get his bearings, Iroh nodded to Zuko, "It was a very good match, nephew. You have been working on your defensive skills. You're coming a long way. I'm very proud of you."

Zuko blushed a little at the compliment, "Thanks."

He nodded back at Iroh who was already gathering up his belongings to head to his wing of the expansive house. "'Night, Uncle," Liang called out from her dad's shoulder.

"Good night, princess. Good night, nephew."

"Daddy, can I sleep with you tonight?" Zuko hated that look and Liang knew it. It was her "You know you want to" look and he fell for it every time. Sighing heavily he caved finding her pillow, stuffed otter-penguin, and a blanket were already in there. Sneaky little thing. Sleep KO'd the pair within moments of getting settled into bed.

It couldn't have been two hours later that Zuko woke with a jolt, his cell phone going off. Slamming his hand onto the nightstand he lifted it to look at the caller ID. Katara. He smiled despite himself. "It's late."

"Sorry. I know. I forget sometimes that people aren't night owls like me. I'm back though." The sentence hanging in the air. Was she waiting for him to invite her over or was she on her way?

"Good," he yawned.

"Soooo?"

"So what?"

"Can I come over? Or do you already have company?" He could envision her devious little smile and he felt a strong urge to kiss her.

"Well," he glanced at Liang's sprawled out body on the other side of the bed. "I do have a cute girl in my bed but I can gladly put her in her own bed to make room for you." He loved to hear her laugh. It was so honest.

Within half an hour, and a child transferred to her own bed, Katara was at his doorstep looking exhausted and a bit stressed. "I saw the fight," she leaned up to kiss him as she dropped her coat and purse on the side table in the foyer. "Good job. I wish I could have been there."

"Thanks." He followed her as she helped herself to a beer from the fridge. "Rough time?"

She popped the cap and took a long swig from the bottle. Rolling her eyes, "Yeah. Let's just say people are idiots." Zuko knew to leave it at that. He didn't want- or need- to know. He had an idea just from his own family. Instead he ordered her to turn around. He pushed the jacket off her shoulders letting it fall to the tiled floor. Heating up his fingers, they pressed and rubbed into the tense muscle of her neck spreading outward across her shoulders, down her spine and back up again. Her appreciative moans turned him on. How could they not? They were similar to the noises she made in the bedroom.

"You're fired," she announced when he was done.

"Excuse me?" he stepped back to look at her incredulously.

"You're fired. You're no longer allowed to fight," her eyes were closed tightly and the edges of her lips quirked upward. "You are to be my personal masseuse from now on."

Zuko snorted lifting her onto the kitchen counter, brushing back her hair from her neck to kiss her neck and ears. "I'd have to triple my wages you know."

She purred, "That's fine. As long as you're okay with me doing this." Katara pushed him away from her, leading him to the couch where she straddled his lap, swirling her hips over his hot flesh that was beginning to strain against the material of his sweatpants. That sent him wild and he bolted up, kissing her roughly. "You have to be good with me doing this though." Her shirt flew open and his hands fumbled with the clasps of her bra finally unleashing those sweet breasts for his enjoyment.

"I'd have to dock your pay for my trips to the tailor," she noted the three now missing buttons from her shirt. Zuko kissed her again, "I'm no businessman. How about we just go upstairs and call it even?"

Laughing all the way to the room, she agreed.

OoooOoooOoooO

**_I'm so addicted to the Jet/Mai pairing it's not even funny. Thus… why it's here in my little Zutara story since I can't actually write a full story involving the two.  
_**

**_Again thank you to all of you who keep following this story. And special shout outs to_** xxZutarafanxx **_and_** 2wingo**_ . You guys have been so stinking helpful, you have no idea._  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Modern AU. Language, some violence, occasional citrus. **

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.**

oooOOOoooOOOooo

"Good! Much better!" Toph called out, slapping the mat in approval. They'd been working like mad on his ground work all morning, Toph saying he still needed work. "But a lot of those yahoos you've been fighting have been giant lumps. You're starting to get like them. You need to be quicker. Aang!" she motioned for the diminutive young man who was happily working the speed bag. He stopped the bag and trotted over looking like he wanted to kiss the girl. Weirdo. His bald head had a layer of sweat and his orange shorts with the blue stripes hung off his slender hips, his feet were bare except for the ankle tape, and he was nearly a head and a half shorter than Zuko. And Toph wanted them to fight.

"He's not in my weight class. I can't fight him." Zuko examined his supposed opponent and dismissed the idea completely.

"You can and you will." Toph smacked Aang on the bare chest and for a moment there Zuko was sure that some kind of sexual energy passed between the two. "Twinkletoes here is a quick SOB and he'll keep you on your toes."

Aang hopped into the ring, grinning like he'd been promised a BJ if he kicked Zuko's ass. Maybe that was his and Toph's arrangement. "Scared of some little guy?" he taunted, lightly pounding his gloves together. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you." Toph wasn't lying, every move that Zuko tried to land Aang easily dodged. He was like a little tornado that Zuko just couldn't quite catch. In the rare event that Zuko landed a blow, Aang was quick to land three. To say he was getting frustrated was an understatement. Zuko felt like a snarling badger-wolf trying to get a laughing lemur-bat. It was pissing him off. He tried to think, tried to predict, tried to gain some kind of ground but nothing. Zuko found himself getting jabs from this way and that, a sidekick in the thigh. He was grabbed by the leg and flipped onto his back more times than he could count only to have the little bald guy float away bouncing on the balls of his feet waiting for Zuko to get back up only to do it again. Finally when he knocked to the ground for the umpteenth time, Toph stopped the match. Her feedback was less than helpful with a string of vulgarity about his lack of attention and/or balls; apparently both were the same to her.

She turned away from him and got in the ring with Aang herself. "Let me show you how it's done," Toph goaded. Zuko watched as the petite earthbender kicked the airbender's ass. Though it reminded him of Katara and his spar months ago that was almost like foreplay. They moved off each other so well, she was grounded, he was light. Her footwork was heavier than his own but they were just similar enough that Zuko got the point. Toph finally called the spar when Aang lifted her in the air pretending that he was going to drop her to the mat. It was easy to see the affection the two had despite her gruff and his flippant exteriors.

"Now you Sparky," Toph ordered, climbing back out of the ring after slapping Aang on the butt. Zuko climbed back in and it was the same as before. The second round was the same, the third a bit better, and by the fourth spar he finally got it all to Toph's approval. "It's not about strength! You gotta be light. Watch him! Watch him on your left. Keep your hands up, elbows in. Yeah! That's it. That's it. He's down. You got him. Good job!" she cheered as Zuko offered out his hand to help Aang up. They patted each other's backs and Aang congratulated him. "Not a lot of people get me on my back. Good job, man."

"Thanks," Zuko nodded, beaming internally at his victory.

"Alright, ladies. You did good. Go hit the showers. We're done for today."

As the water rushed over him, he replayed the fight in his head memorizing his footwork, what moves worked. Even though his next opponent wasn't for another three more weeks, he was quick. The footage showed him running circles around the other guys, tiring them out so that he could get it for the win. Toph was awesome in that she knew all Zuko's weaknesses and his strengths and helped him develop both. Jet had been good, but she kicked his ass every time and made him a better fighter in the process. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he headed for his locker, checking his phone for any calls or texts from Katara. Not that he was expecting her to call, but he did have a sweet "I'm thinking of you" text followed by a dirty "wishing you were here" picture message with panties peeking out from underneath a hitched up skirt. Damn he was a lucky guy.

He slipped on the shirt and jeans all while his mind was on Katara and that naughty image. Gathering up his things, he waved good-bye to Toph and Aang and a couple of the other guys in the gym and aiming the remote at his SUV beeped it unlocked, he heard a voice behind him.

"Hi, Zuko." Her voice was soft and pleasant. Despite that, he froze, nearly dropping his bag. His eyes slipped closed and he bowed his head. Breathe. He turned and there she was.

He stared blankly at her. After eight years, she had the audacity to show up out of the blue like this. He laughed despite himself. "You know, I've never believed in hitting a woman but half of me wants to punch you in the face."

Jin, in all her confident sweetness, just stood. "And what does the other half want?"

"To run you over with my truck."

An eternity of silence passed between the couple. "I know," she swallowed thickly.

The rage in him bloomed, bursting from his lips like a geyser, "You know? You don't fucking know. You don't know what it's like to get left like that. You don't know how our daughter- your child! - almost died that night because of your negligence. Because you… you couldn't deal with it. You don't know what it's like to have to be both Dad and Mom, wondering where the next meal comes from, how the hell I'm gonna buy her a new shoes or a coat. Working shit jobs just to make ends meet. You don't know shit!" He could have kept on going but it would have been in vain. They were words that had been spoken a hundred times before.

Year after year he had envisioned this moment and frankly it wasn't what he expected. There should have been tears over wanting to see their daughter, some passionate plea to take her back, screaming at what a fool one of them had been, but there was none of it. "Zuko, I know. I'd say I'm sorry but that's not enough. It'd never be enough. I messed up bad and I accept that. Not a day goes by that I don't think of Liang." She rummaged in her huge purse and pulled out her wallet. Inside were a good handful of the pictures Zuko had sent her over the years. "I have more at the house. Obviously I can't keep them all here. But yeah… I don't expect you to forgive me and I don't ask for it. I guess then you're wondering why I'm here?"

Zuko gave her a look that clearly said, "You think?"

"I'm a journalist," she explained, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Zuko was amazed how she'd hardly changed. Her dark hair, even after all these years, was up in a messy ponytail. How many times had he helped her tuck it behind her ear like she was doing now? He had to admit, she looked good. Still had the nice curves, soft face, and those green eyes were had such an innocent beauty to them. They were Liang's too. She had gone back to school, after a year of depression and loneliness, going to college and earning her degree in journalism. She was sent by some local newspaper to interview him, she said. Zuko remembered she was great at getting information. He'd been a closed shell when they had met and she had managed to find out all his hopes and dreams. Unfortunately their dreams never meshed. She wanted adventure, he wanted stability. She wanted to be a famous journalist, he just wanted a family. Those were just other things they fought over. "They asked me to do a bit on the Dragon of the Lower Ring. That's what they call you, y'know?"

"Yeah, I've heard."

"I don't know why they chose me. Maybe because they heard you and I used to be something back in the day. Who knows," she snorted. "Listen, there's a little joint down the street, maybe we can go there and talk a bit. Strictly professional, I swear."

The wheels churned in his head. This business was all about shucking away emotions and getting the job done. Right now had to be about the biggest shucking of emotions he'd ever had. His anger didn't matter, their past didn't matter. She had a job to do and so did he. He couldn't say no and he knew it. This sucked. Big time. "Fine," he growled, hefting the gym bag off the ground. "Eight o'clock."

"Thank you Zuko."

"Don't thank me yet."

The restaurant was pretty empty due to it being the middle of the work week. They took their drinks in the bar, cozied up nicely at a little table. She was professional with her questions; he was professional with his answers. Then she asked about his relationship with his manager. "Yeah, Jet's a great guy-"

"I'm talking about the Ms. Kuruk." He stopped playing with the lone dumpling on the plate and stared at it. Slowly his eyes lifted and he saw her inquisitive gaze.

"Ms. Kuruk?" he replied thickly.

"There's rumors about her involvement in the local mafia."

"Not true."

Jin's lips tweaked upward. After all these years she still knew when he was lying. "Well, regardless of that, there are rumors of your relationship being more than business. Is this true?"

He caught her eyes again and he was surprised to see a bit of hurt, and maybe even a little jealousy, in them. "No comment." What right did she have to be hurt by his personal life? She made that choice years ago to not be a part of his life. She went on, "Is she involved… with your daughter?" Strictly business just as promised but he knew the words killed her. Her shoulders slunk and her voice caught on them.

"Yeah. She is. She's stepped in for the mother that chose another path." The Jack and Coke burned down his throat and he wasn't able to meet her eyes, instead motioning for another one. "Next question."

"How is she Zuko?" Jin's voice softened and Zuko's heart almost broke for her. Like he said, it was her choice.

"She's good. She's going to be starting third grade. She's getting tall. Like me."

"Does she bend?"

Zuko smiled, "No. She doesn't. But she's incredibly smart. Like her mom."

Jin played with the rim of her glass, "You've done a great job. Probably better without me than with." _Perhaps_. Who can ever know something like that? Spirits knew he'd been better with his mom than without. But as Uncle would say, destiny has a funny way of making you who you are. He waited patiently. Was this when she was going to ask to see her and he could blow up in her face? Was this when he was going to forgive her?

Neither happened.

"Would it be weird to ask how you're doing?" his voice softened, leaning back casually in his chair. The remainder of the time together in the bar of the semi-vacant restaurant in the Middle Ring was spent catching up on past times and new. Glancing down at his watch, he needed to get home. He picked up the tab and walked Jin to her car. "Thanks for the interview," she giggled, nibbling on her bottom lip. Agni, he must have had too many drinks because that still turned him on.

"Hope you only write about the good stuff." He grinned stupidly down at her, holding her car door open.

"Definitely." She tucked a stray stand over the shell of her ear and gave him that gentle look. All rational thought disappeared when she stepped forward and he didn't step back.

"Jin," he caught her hands that tried to snake around his neck, pulling them down between them, "Stop." His lips tingled from her kiss. He should have stopped her and could have but deep down he was curious. She had been his first everything- his first girlfriend, first kiss, they'd lost their virginities to each other. She was the mother of his child for Agni's sake. Yet much to his surprise he felt nothing. No love, no anger. Nothing. Time had had a funny way of erasing his memories of her. Especially after Katara had entered his life and taken a role that he'd never thought she'd take.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, blushing brightly for their indiscretion. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Yeah," he shoved his hands deep in his pockets and turned away. "Look, I'm glad things are going good for you and I wish you all the best but it's just…"

"No, no. I understand. Like I said, I don't expect anything. Just one thing," Zuko shivered in the night air, "Don't tell her you saw me tonight."

"Liang?"

"No. That Katara chick. I hear she's pretty scary and I've heard stories of the Tribe. I can't imagine what she'd do to me."

Zuko smiled despite himself. "I think you'll be okay. Good luck with your story then. G'night." The intimate hug felt like closure, something both of them needed to finalize everything so perhaps they could both move on. Whistling softly, Zuko headed home, wanting his waterbender more than ever before.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

"Okay, asshole!" Katara shouted at the car blasting their horn behind her. She gunned it wanting to leave that intersection as quick as possible.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Katara did NOT just see what she saw. Did she? It was hard not to miss Zuko, that tall handsome man with that La-awful scar. And the woman, like Liang all grown up, had to have been Jin. They were standing by a car then the next thing she saw they were kissing. Her hands slid up his shoulders then he was holding her hands. Then they were hugging and her heart broke it was so intimate and loving. Her imagination knew exactly what was going on. Katara kicked herself for taking that wrong turn earlier that put her at that spot just then. Kicked herself for glancing over to her right at the red light. Kicked herself for being an idiot and falling for him. "Stupid bitch," she scolded herself. It was the honking of the asshole behind her that finally forced her to drive away. And she drove far, far away avoiding the inevitable heartbreak.

Her phone rang two weeks later. She was sitting in a hotel in the North Pole, cleaning her gun with a manic ferocity. "Where the hell are you?" Jet yelled through the headset.

"Excuse me?"

"Where are you? What's your problem? You've been avoiding all of us."

"I've been busy. Work's been crazy." It was true only because she made it crazy. She'd personally been involved in no less than ten "negotiations" with debtors and other slime. The poor guys never had a chance against a frustrated and heartbroken waterbender.

"So busy even Zuko doesn't know where the hell you are? He's been worried sick and frankly it's getting annoying."

"Yeah, well, he doesn't need to know where I'm at. Besides I'm sure he's real lonely without me." She rolled her eyes and scrubbed the gun even harder.

"Actually he is. He's being a big puss, all mopey and shit. I swear it's like he's on the rag or something. What did you do to him?"

"What I did? I didn't do anything. He's the one who was making out with Jin!" The silence hung over the phone. Katara half expected Jet to get pissed, defend her honor or something. How dare his best friend cheat on her (never mind his own history with doing the same)? Instead he laughed. Hard. "What the fuck are talking about?"

Explained that evening about how she saw Zuko and Jin together. "I mean she is the mother of his child. Who am I right? Of course he would go back to her."

"You're an idiot. He'd never- and I mean ne-ver- go back to her. You realize that right. He might be a glutton for torment but not even he'd go that far. She's just some journalist or some shit like that and interviewed him."

"But I saw them kiss." She tried to defend herself.

"Did you even talk to Zuko about it?" He knew as well as she did the answer to that and waited patiently for her mumbled "no". He just needed to hear her say it. Say that she messed up. Jumped to conclusions and ran away. She needed to say she was sorry and he knew full well that she hated saying "I'm sorry."

Katara nibbled on her finger, hating having to ask advice from the jerk who had screwed her over so many times but when push came to shove was one of her dear friends. "What do I do then?"

"Suck it up, cupcake, and apologize to the man. He misses you. And I know Liang does too. You wormed your way into their lives and it takes more than that to get out."

"Once in, always in," Katara offered.

"You should know, Miss Tribe girl. Now get your ass on a plane and get back here. I'm tired of hearing him bitch."

oooOOOoooOOOooo

The weather must have followed her foul mood because it was dumping buckets of rain. Her belly did flip flops the whole way to his house and she got drenched in the few meters between her car and his door. She couldn't see the lights on inside and thought maybe he'd gone to bed or maybe he wasn't even home. Just as she turned to leave, tail tucked between her legs, the heavy wood door opened. In the light from the hallway, he stood, arms crossed over his chest, chin jutted out defensively.

"I'm an idiot." She stared at the doormat unable to meet his angry gaze.

He sighed, folding his arms across his chest and leaning on the door jamb "I've been left behind once before and I didn't like it then and I sure as hell didn't like it now. It's been two weeks Katara. Two weeks of not knowing if something horrible happened to you because of what you do or if you were like everyone else too chicken shit to deal with my life."

"I'm so sorry"

"Why'd you leave? Why didn't you say something? I don't understand."

She gulped, trying to fight back the tears to no avail. Her mind's eye still played back that image. "I saw something-"

"Something?"

The words burst out without any rhyme or reason. "Yeah, I saw you and Jin kissing in the parking lot at some restaurant and I thought the worst and I'm an idiot." When he didn't say anything, he just blinked stunned that in that one little moment that their relationship could have ended, she continued, "I'm not used to this okay? I love you. So damn much. And Liang and it's been killing me not being able to be around you two. I never thought I wanted a family but being with you and her and I've honestly thought about what an awesome big sister she would be and… and I ruined it because I jumped to conclusions and never thought to ask you. I thought you went back to her. I thought that with her back in the picture why would you want me?"

She was cut off from her tirade by a pair of warm arms and even warmer lips. "How could I not want you?"

"Because I'm an idiot." She sniffled loudly, brushing away the tears from under her eyes with her fingertips, trying to not smear her mascara anymore than it already was.

Zuko grinned impishly. "So, you love me?" Katara bit her bottom lip and blushed, "Yeah, I think I do."

"Good. I'm pretty sure I love you too." He leaned down and kissed her again. She missed this so much. Zuko brushed back her damp hair from her cheek. "Now let's get you out of these wet clothes."

oooOOOoooOOOooo

_Why yes this was a bit of filler? Thanks for asking._

_2wingo- you rock my socks! For real. Thanks for the help. _

_To everyone else, thanks so much for all the reviews, favs, and watches. You make this little fanfic writer very, very happy.  
_


	11. Chapter 11

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Modern AU. Language, some violence. Lemon ahoy!**

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.**

oooOOOoooOOOooo

They both knew that she could easily bend the water from her clothing. Instead she chose to let him undress her, savoring the feeling of being in his command. He peeled the sweater from her chest, both laughing when it caught against her nose and when it got stuck on her watch. Those strong hands gently slid down her body to unbutton her jeans. He stared intently into her eyes as he shimmied them off her tight body letting them land on the tiled floor of the laundry room with a plop. Katara half expected him to lift her onto the wash machine and ravish her, instead he picked up her clothes, threw them in the dryer, grabbed her hand and yanked her toward his bedroom. With a giggle, she was thrown onto the bed to be followed by that devilish man. Her hands raked into his silky black hair, his lips pressing firmly against hers. Katara didn't know how she could possibly live without this feeling as the heat from his body warmed against hers. His hands moved along her body, heated just so that whatever remaining moisture was evaporated from her flesh leaving behind goosebumps. Then his lips landed on the sensitive area of her belly, kissing so sweetly yet so hungrily, his fingers digging into her hips to hold onto her forever.

"I missed you," she panted, looking down the length of her body to meet those golden eyes. "I'm sorry, Zuko. I know I should have talked to you, but I…" He stopped her there, rushing up her body to cradle her head in his palm, twining his fingers in the nape of her neck and landing delicate kisses along her cheeks and lips. "Don't leave me again." His words so fragile that it made Katara want to cry. She didn't mean to hurt him and she felt like an even bigger idiot than earlier.

She pulled away just enough to make sure he saw the sincerity in her expression and promised she wouldn't. "Not ever." She wanted this man for the rest of her life. She wanted that kid of his, that sweet little girl that needed a mom and Katara swooped in happily to take that role. She hadn't lied when she said Liang would make a great big sister. Family was her life and with this broken one, together they could make it whole.

In a haze as he kissed up and down her body, sending current after current along her spine, he mentioned that she could be as loud as she wanted to be.

"Huh?" her brain only half registering his words, the other half wanting to tell him to use his mouth for better purposes, like that spot- oh La!- right… right there.

"Liang's at Uncle Jet's. So we have the house to ourselves." Katara knew he loved it when she was loud. It was boost to the ego. Of course, she loved it when he was loud too. Made her feel like she was doing her job well enough to make him scream. Speaking of…

His fingers glided along the slick flesh between her legs, lips suckling gently on her thighs, the back of her knee, and the spot just above where his fingers were doing their magic. She could hardly breathe. Then his tongue, oh spirits, that tongue. He twirled it over her clit and she nearly bolted off the mattress. It flicked like a serpent, the devil. Faster and faster and just when she was almost there he pulled away, examining the progress he made, watching her body bloom just for him. Slower and slower, his fingers moved over the lips up and down, stroking her, pausing at the entrance to her body. It circled and Katara shifted downward desperate to feel penetration. But her lover was enacting penance. "Please, Zuko. Oh, Spirits. Pleeease!" Her body gyrated in desperation. She needed to feel that fullness. It wasn't his prick but a finger or two would do nicely right about now. Just when she was about to give up hope, he jammed a finger inside her, pumping, pumping, milking her body, lips wrapped around her clit sucking fiercely until she was arching again, breathy pants that escalated into full on screams as she came with a mind-blowing intensity. Zuko didn't relent. A second finger dove in and he blew against her clit with heated breath then teased the bud with his teeth as the second orgasm ripped through her. Only after the third, did she push him away, begging him to stop. She needed to catch her breath.

Katara loved tasting herself on his lips; it was a nice blend of him and her. But she wanted to taste him fully, shoving him onto his back she kissed along his abs, flicking at his nipples with her tongue, dipping into his belly button, tugging at those hairs that led to the magnificent cock still hidden underneath the pajama bottoms. She kissed along his covered length, nuzzling the cotton and giving a gentle nip here and there. Tugging the strings, she loosened the pants and with his help, slid them off his hips and onto the floor. He was gorgeous with a proud strength, and yet there was gentleness to him that appealed to her. His hands rested behind his head and he watched with fascination as Katara tenderly placing kisses everywhere except where she knew he wanted her too. Her absence had been enough torture so without further ado she licked the swollen head, gently sucking its fullness, then moving down to take as much of him in her mouth as she could. She loved his taste, the way he smelled, musky and manly and a scent that was all Zuko. Her head bobbed up and down, feeling the way his body would twitch when she focused on the tip compared to when she took him all the way down and when she licked his sac. To her chagrin though he didn't allow her to go down on him for very long. He leaned up, pushing her back onto the bed and cupped her head, kissing her again and again until both of them were breathless. Reaching over to the nightstand, he pulled out the condom. There was something strangely erotic about watching a man put one on, the way he gripped himself, stroking downward the entire length, then seeing the hungry, readied look in his eyes.

Zuko kissed her again, positioning himself between her legs. She loved the feeling of her thighs pressed against his hips. She gasped as he pushed inside of her. Oh, La! This is what she missed. Being surrounded by him, feeling themselves so intimately connected, being one with someone she honestly cared about- loved- and who loved her back. She knew he did from the way he looked at her, from his kisses, from his whispers as he told her how much she was missed, from their laughter when things slipped, when noses hitting, and when she moved to another position nearly rolling off the bed and he had to catch her. He would always catch her and she him.

The lovers spent the next two days enjoying the house to themselves since Jet had taken Liang for the weekend. Jet had planned it, knowing full well that Katara would come back to Zuko and knowing that they needed private time to discuss whatever was going on between the two of them as well as the other inevitable activities. Such as initiatingthe kitchen counter, the couch, the hot tub, and several other places throughout his home. They had discussed the next match and Zuko updated her on his training and what a hard ass Toph was. "Of course, I get my real workout with you," he teased, hugging her around the waist as he pressed himself against her firm backside.

Sunday evening, dressed more appropriately than boxers and/or t-shirts, they heard a car pull up. Liang bounded through the door like a rabbiroo with Jet lugging her little suitcase behind him. "Katara!" she shouted, hugging the waterbender tightly, "I missed you. Was your business trip okay? Guess what? There's new koala-otters at the zoo. Can we go see them?"

Katara brushed the girl's hair back and said of course, she couldn't wait.

Jet stood in the kitchen watching. He nodded his head towards the two ladies. "Glad to see she's back." It was more a comment than a question. Zuko smiled shyly, not wanting to divulge too much. But Jet knew.

After Jet had gone, and Katara who needed to get a change of clothes and take care of things since she was back, Zuko tackled the laundry. As he pulled out Liang's clothes from her suitcase and making sure the pockets were empty, something hard fell onto the tile floor of the laundry room. Thinking it was just one of Liang's toys that snuck in between her clothes, he leaned down to pick it up. It was a coin.

His eyes grew wide. His face paled. His heart stopped. What remaining good feelings from the weekend with Katara were kicked to the curb.

The dragon symbol on one side and the "fire" character on the other. The Nation's calling card.

His mind whirled. How on earth had this gotten in his daughter's things? What were they doing close to her? He'd kill them if they touched her. After moment of shock, he yelled out for Liang. She finally arrived, obviously terribly involved with catching Pokémon. Zuko held the coin up for his daughter to see.

"Liang, what is this?" he demanded his voice harsher than it would normally be.

"I dunno," she answered glancing up briefly then going back to tapping the bottom screen with the stylus.

"Answer me, Liang!" Her gentle green eyes met her father's and for the first time she was scared of him. "Where did you get this?"

He watched her intently. He knew her signs for lying, like him she was horrible at it. There were none there. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know, Daddy," she squeaked, tucking her DS in tight to her body. "I never seen it before. Honest, Daddy. Am I in trouble?"

His heart broke a bit and he pulled her in for a hug, stroking her hair. "No sweetie, you're not in trouble." _Think, Zuko, think_. She had stayed at Jet's. Wait a sec. Jet was dating Mai now. Mai had been friends with Azula, was she still? Was Azula at Jet's? What the hell was going on? "When you were at Uncle Jet's was there anyone else there?"

Liang thought a moment then brightened, "Yeah! There was a tall lady. Uncle Jet called her his special friend but they were kissing and stuff so I think she was his girlfriend. She was really nice. She made yummy fruit tarts. I've never had those before." Yup, that was Mai. Zuko mentally laughed. The girl still liked fruit tarts. Liang continued, "And then Sunday morning Smellerbee and Longshot stopped by with the baby. He was so cute! Uncle said I looked good holding him." _I think about making her a big sister._ Focus. "Then some other lady stopped by to pick up Uncle Jet's friend. She wasn't there very long. But she was asking who my dad was. I told her it was you. I didn't like the way she smiled at me. It was scary. I was glad when she left." Azula!

Zuko was on guard. "Did she do anything to you?"

"No. Do you know her Dad?"

"It's not important. But you'll let me know if you ever see her again?"

"Yeah, okay. Can I go now?"

"Yeah." Once she was gone, he stroked his chin and stared at the coin. He needed to make a phone call.

"What does it mean?" Katara asked, admiring the details of the coin. The dragon was kind of cool looking despite its ominous meaning.

Zuko sat on the arm of the sofa, leaning next to where Katara sat cross legged. She'd come over as soon as he called. "It's what The Nation sends to someone to remind them."

She looked up at him, puzzled. This was not what her people did. There was no beating around the bush, you either knew what was going on or you didn't. "Remind them of what?"

"That they fucked up and need to watch their back," Zuko sighed heavily.

"Sooo. What does this mean for you?"

"They're here."

"Well we already knew that," Katara flipped the coin letting it land on the back of her hand. A childish motion that for some reason Zuko became very interested in.

"What side's up?"

She showed him "dragon". He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I didn't know you were superstitious."

"Not usually but old habits die hard. Dragon side means good luck."

"So this squiggly thing means bad luck?"

Zuko traced the symbol with his finger. "It means death."

Katara's eyes went wide and, being the superstitious one, she was glad it was dragon side up. "What do we do?" Katara asked her voice tight, ready for battle.

He simply shrugged, "Just wait I guess. All we can do. Besides we've got too much going with the next match to think about this."

"Wait for what though?" Katara burst. "Are we supposed to sit on our asses and wait for them to make the next move? Just go on pretending this doesn't mean anything?"

Zuko flung his arms out in frustration. "You think I just want to sit here? Well I'd love to go out and get them. We don't know where they are-"

"Jet might know. His new girlfriend is part of them, isn't she?"

"I don't know, Katara," he swept his hand through his hair. He'd gone so long without these people in his life and then like a flash they were back in it. He just wanted to fight, make the money, and live happily ever after, preferably with Katara.

"Fuck that," she snorted, pacing back and forth on the rug. "I'm not going to just wait for them to hurt you again or Liang."

Zuko grabbed her arm, trying to settle her down a bit. "We have to wait. We need them to make the first move."

"This" she shoved the coin at him, "in your daughter's things was the first move. If they so much as… as…well I don't know what. But if I see them, they're dead."

He smiled despite himself, "Have I told you I loved you lately?"

The comment threw Katara off guard. She blinked a couple times then smiled back. "I'm just watching out for my family."

oooOOOoooOOOooo

_Short chapter is short._

_Again thanks for the reviews (you have no idea how much I love the feedback), favs and watches.  
_


	12. Chapter 12

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Modern AU. Language, some violence.**

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.**

oooOOOoooOOOooo

Zuko could honestly say these Tribe parties had grown on him. The food was delicious, and the Arctic wine was so smooth. Then there was Katara who glided amongst the guests like a soothing river of smiles and pleasant conversations, dressed in the body hugging dark blue silk, ringlets of hair half up, the sapphire necklace resting comfortably above her pushed-up cleavage. He was one lucky man and the jealous spark ignited every time he caught another man looking her way. But the way she lingered around him, reassuring pecks when they were alone and prideful boasting when they weren't, let him know he had nothing to worry about. Yup, these parties had definitely grown on him.

But that one guy, the old one with the neatly trimmed white beard, piercing blue eyes, and the perpetual grimace, who always seemed to have a lovely young lady on his arm, set Zuko ill at ease. As he and Katara were huddled with Sokka in pleasant conversation, that man approached. This time with a lovely lady on both arms.

"Ah, the infamous Zuko Long! The Dragon of the East," Pakku nodded to the fighter. Zuko stuck out his hand to shake it but was left hanging as Pakku stared down at the offering with a look of disgust. Slowly Zuko pulled it back in and took an embarrassed drink of his whiskey and cola.

"Hello, Master Pakku," Katara smiled. It was her fake one, Zuko had learned that well enough. And Sokka's too, as he too formally greeted the man. They had to play nice to this esteemed member of their organization.

"I hear you have a big fight coming up." Yes, yes. Very big. The championship title match. Pakku sipped his arctic wine and over the glass made an observation, "And I hear it is to be against a compatriot of yours. A Chan Something-or-other."

"Excuse me?" Katara questioned, tilting her head just so. "No. You've been misinformed. He's-."

"Yeah, about that," Sokka coughed into his hand interrupting, "The original guy had something come up and had to back out. But I made a few calls and we lucked out that that this guy was available otherwise we would have had to cancel the entire match."

Casting a weary glance to each other as Sokka continued to ramble about financial losses, Zuko and Katara had a feeling in the pit of their stomachs that this was not a coincidence. Sokka brightened pointing to Zuko, "I'm meeting with his promoter Monday morning to finalize the paperwork. Actually I think she had mentioned wanting to meet the legendary Zuko. Up to you if you want to show up or not." Sokka kept on babbling however Zuko's head began to buzz. Pakku noticed the wobbly Katara asking if the "princess" was alright.

"I'm fine. I think I may have had too much," she giggled drunkenly, setting down her glass on the nearest table and dramatically putting her hand to her forehead. It was a ruse. The woman could hold her liquor but they needed to get out of there to talk. "Maybe some fresh air would help me out. Zuko, could you take me outside?"

"Sure." Setting down his glass, they maneuvered their way between the crowds of people inside the Karuk's mansion, finally making it outside. The pool lights cast a calming glow but it did nothing to ease the thoughts that ran through their heads.

"Zuko," Katara breathed. She didn't need to say any more. The look in her eyes said everything. "Do you think this is really them?"

He brushed his hand through his hair then leaned on his forearms against the railing. "Yeah. I really do. You forget, they have as much pull as your people do. Why wouldn't they rig this?"

Out of the corner of his eye he watched Katara pace, nibbling on her thumbnail as she thought. After what felt like eternity, she stopped and faced him. "You're not going to fight. We're going to cancel."

"We can't do that."

"Why not?" He loved when she had her hands on her hips like that. But now was not the time.

"Because that would show them we're scared. I'm tired of running from them. It feels like I've been doing that since I was thirteen. I need to face them. And if this is how I do it then so be it." He stared up at the stars, hoping that maybe some kind of answer would appear or maybe a comet would come and land on him and he wouldn't have to deal with any of this. He wasn't so lucky. Instead he could feel her staring at him so he turned to start the silent debate.

Only their eyes voiced what needed to be said. Against every fiber of her being, Katara finally conceded turning to look out on the shimmering pool. "Are you so sure?" her voice was soft. Zuko moved to stand next to her, with a gentle touch he lifted her chin to meet her worried gaze and in it he felt all the confidence in the world. How did she do that to him? He'd always felt certain amount of doubt but with her it just seemed to all fit together. He pulled her in close and rested his forehead on hers. "Yeah. I am."

Monday morning rolled around and the ride to Sokka's office was filled with unspoken tension. Even a hand squeeze here and there did nothing to alleviate the feeling of the inevitable. Katara and Zuko were surprised to see another man and woman sitting in their seats despite being nearly half an hour early to the meeting. They could only see the backs of their heads but when Sokka's face lit up at his little sister's arrival, the couple turned and Zuko froze. It felt like he'd been doing that a lot lately since they'd gotten the calling card a week ago. It was one thing to assume his sister was here but to see it first hand was a different story. Everything felt as though it was crashing. All the good things happening were going away. All from just one person.

Azula.

Katara was taken with how much she and Zuko looked alike. Both had the amber eyes, creamy skin, and dark hair. Her lithe body was dressed sharply in her tailored suit, prim hair cut, and cat-like demeanor. Her appearance belied whatever intentions she may have. Chan, much to her opposite, looked bored slumped in the chair as he passed the time playing on his smartphone. His suit was too flashy, his hair over loaded with too many styling products, his ego oozing off him like the musky cologne he must have bathed in, until he saw Katara. A pretty girl always managing to peak his interests. He gave a wink and a playboy smile and Katara glared, ignoring the inappropriateness of his behavior. She nudged Zuko into the room and they took their places.

Zuko silently stewed while Sokka, wisely oblivious to the tension between the people on the other side of his desk, finalized the paperwork between the fighters and the managers. Katara tried to sum up the other woman, finding it next to impossible. There was something off and for Katara to feel this way made her feel uncomfortable to say the least.

With the final signatures on paper, everyone rose and shook hands. "It was good to finally see you, Zuko _Long_," Azula drawled, releasing her grip on her brother's hand, "And it was _really_ good to meet you, Miss Kuruk. It's nice to finally put a face to a name."

"Likewise," Katara agreed, taking Azula's offered hand in her own.

"I'd lose if I were you," Azula warned under her breath as the women shook hands. Her grip tightened around Katara's hand.

"Fat chance of that," Katara hissed back. "Zuko will fight and he'll win."

Azula pulled out her sunglasses from her large purse and slid them onto her head. "Oh we'll see about that. Perhaps you shouldn't have so much faith in someone so… disgraceful." Her malevolent gaze fell onto Zuko once again and that strange surge of protection rose in Katara. She moved to stand before Zuko but it was Sokka who rested a hand on both ladies' shoulders. "Well, it was wonderful to meet you. Good luck and all. We'll see you in two weeks." Sokka's voice dipped low as he bent down to Azula's ear, "And you'd be wise to keep away until that time, Nation."

Her sharp laugh pierced the room, "Well regardless. It was lovely meeting all of you and we shall see you again soon. Good luck, Zu-zu." The woman walked away taking an oblivious Chan with her.

Sokka put his hand up to stop Zuko from going after her. He shook his head "no", "They'll be plenty of time for that later, man. Just get to work, 'kay?"

The last few weeks before a fight were always tense, always filled with so much last minute training, video footage studies, and all the little things to hopefully give him the edge. This time though there was a different tension in the air, training was minimal. Even Liang became reserved as the adults around her spoke in hushed tones. They watched videos of Chan's previous fights and there was no rhyme or reason to his stances, to his kicks and punches. He fought like a flailing schoolgirl afraid to get his pretty face hurt and yet he was winning every single time. It made no sense.

Toph threw up her hands in frustration, "Zuko if you don't beat this pansy, I'm going to beat you."

Tens of thousands of fans packed the stadium to watch the main event. Camera crews were set up to televise the main event: Zuko "Dragon of the East" Long and Chan "Pretty Boy" Tomihama (rich beach), the Rumble in the Volcano IV.

Even in the locker room, the beats of the crowd and the music vibrated. Katara kissed Zuko, checking and rechecking his gloves, his only defense against his opponent. "Watch your left side, okay?" Katara offered sagely, touching the edge of his scar, unable to meet her lover's gaze.

"It'll be okay Katara. I've done this once or twice you know."

Katara smiled lamely, "I know. But there's something off. I just… I don't know. For the love of La, please be careful." Zuko kissed her again and one more time for luck then turned to Liang. "Wish Daddy luck?" Giving one last hug, Liang whispered against his neck, "Be careful out there, Daddy." It was her first live match and this wasn't the same as hearing about it later on or seeing it on TV. She was scared for him.

From the door, Jet called out that it was time.

"I will, Princess. I love you." He kissed his daughter, gave a final squeeze then turned back to Katara. "I guess I'll see you in about an hour." Feeling suddenly helpless, Katara watched Zuko and his entourage leave for the ring. Zuko turned over his should one last time and held up his hand to catch the kiss Katara blew.

"He'll be okay," Liang predicted. "He's got us for good luck."

Katara smiled and took the little girl's hand. "You're right. Now let's get out there and watch him beat the snot out of that jerk."

The first bell rings and the men size each other up with testing punches and kicks. Chan was tall, almost a head taller, and broader than Zuko. He exudes cockiness, like he's already won, and it makes Zuko sick. Then the second bell rings and it's as though the other man is trying to wear Zuko out but Zuko doesn't let on that his stamina can take this. The third bell to the sixth and all hell breaks loose. The crowd shouts in anger at how the refs turn a blind eye to Chan's moves, just short of kicking Zuko in the balls and gouging his eyes, every single one of Chan's hits were illegal in the rule book. The crowd throws things at the cage when Zuko is the one penalized for landing blows. If The Nation could rig the match itself, then there was no reason why they couldn't have paid off the refs too. There are times where Katara can barely watch as Zuko is pummeled; Liang huddled into her side unable to watch as well. Across the way, Katara can see Azula smiling that Cheshire-cat smile and it makes her want to punch it off the bitch. Well if they can cheat so can she. In the eighth round, Zuko was a bloodied and bruised mess. With a flick of her fingers, timing it just so when Zuko throws a body blow, Chan drops to the mat twisted and unable to move pinned down by his own sweat and blood. Zuko glanced up to see his manger's hands twisted and an intense look on her face. _What the hell?_ Screw it, it's on. Zuko landed on top of the other man and arm barred his opponent into submission. The refs can do nothing but watch as Chan taps out, released from whatever unseen force held him down, before Zuko rips the ligaments in the man's elbow. The crowd roars in excitement as a stunned ref lifts Zuko's arm in victory.

Across the way, it is Katara's turn to have the Cheshire-grin. The Nation woman's eyes darken and slip down to the little girl jumping and cheering beside her. Suddenly the victory doesn't feel so sweet. Instead she feels the need to protect. Leading the girl away from the unspoken danger, Katara heads to the locker room to give proper congratulations to her fighter on winning the match of his life.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

To everyone's surprise, they hear nothing more from the Nation people following the fight and the interviews afterwards. It was as though they tucked tail and ran back home. Zuko wasn't so easily convinced. "A dragon waits to strike its prey," is what Uncle Iroh used to tell him and the words never felt truer than now.

Thanks to Katara, Zuko's recovery from the match was quick but he still took it easy. They discussed him going back to defend his titles and he wasn't so sure about it. "Let me relax a bit more, then I'll decide."

Life became somewhat normal. Katara practically moved in with the Long's. It was lovely being a normal family, going on family outings. It was something neither bender could have imagined.

Over dinner out one evening, Zuko presented Katara with a ring. It had been a year and a half since that fateful day when she walked into his locker room in the Lower Ring and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. "You saved me. From what I was before. Thank you."

"Are you proposing?" she teased her bottom lip, unable to take her eyes off Zuko.

"Yeah, I kind of am. Well?"

"You're an idiot," she laughed and threw her arms around him. "Of course I will! Oh Liang will be so excited. Did you tell her?"

"Yeah. She was the first person I asked. She called me an idiot too. Something about how you're already my wife and already her mom. Oh and something else about when are we making her a baby brother?"

Katara kissed him with all her heart, "Take me back to your place and maybe we can work on that."

"I can never say no to you. You know that right?"

He couldn't drive home, couldn't get her in his bed, undressed and on top of him the way he liked it, quick enough, until he pulled into the driveway. Suddenly all the happy feelings went away. A knot formed in his stomach as the police lights flashed.

"Zuko? What's going on?" Katara blinked, confused by the scene.

He slammed the car into park and got out of the SUV quickly. He caught one of the officers to get some information. "I'm sorry, sir. You're going to have to leave."

"This is my house. What the hell is happening?" The officer pointed to a lady standing by the door, chatting with someone on the front steps. Oh, Agni! It was Liang's babysitter. What the hell was going on?

It was Katara who went to the lady, "Suki, what is happening? What's going on?"

Suki, a petite auburn-haired lady not much older than Katara, dressed conservatively gave Katara a worried look. "It's Liang. The babysitter here said someone came in an hour ago and tied them both up-"

Katara clutched at Zuko, Zuko clutched at air as Suki continued about investigations and alerts. They weren't sure they wanted to hear anymore. "Where… Where is my daughter?" His mind whirled. Blood, pain, anger, murder, hate.

"They took Liang. All they left were these," Suki held up an evidence bag. Inside was a note written in Fireish and a coin. The same coin left behind weeks earlier.

"What does is say Zuko?" Katara was hardly able to breathe let alone speak.

"_You should have lost_."


	13. Chapter 13

**Title: Fighting for You**  
**Pairings: ultimately Zutara**  
**Rating: PG17/M**  
**Warnings: Modern AU. Language, some violence.**

**Summary: Katara is the Princess of the SWT, a branch of The Tribe, a waterbending mafia based out of the North Pole, establishing themselves in Ba Sing Se. Zuko the banished prince of The Nation, a firebending syndicate, is involved in the amateur fight scene of Ba Sing Se. Katara's financial interests turn physical as they raise up in ranks but glory has a price when Zuko's past comes back.**

Ch: 13

While Katara dealt with the paperwork and the media that soon arrived on scene, Zuko's cell phone went off. He prayed it was someone telling him where Liang was.

He wasn't so lucky.

"You! You stupid son of a bitch. You let that… that criminal and all her illegal bullshit get our daughter." Jin's voice screeched in his ear. Ever the journalist, she had found out. Put on the story even. It must have been devastating, regardless of their history. Liang was still her daughter.

"It's not her Jin," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Jin never knew that piece of his past and now she would. "What do you mean?"

"This is my problem not hers. It's my sister." Against better judgment Zuko told her everything.

Well, almost…

oooOOOooo

_Knock, knock_.

_ Bang! Bang!_

The door rattled under Zuko's fist as he struck the defenseless wood. Waiting. Waiting. Finally Jet opened the door. Zuko pushed past him tearing through the apartment.

"Aw, shit man. I thought you were the cops. They've been breakin' down my door all night. What the hell is going on? Is Liang really miss-?"

"Where is she?" Zuko's nostrils flared as he turned to face his friend, ignoring Jet's subsequent questions about now Katara's whereabouts.

"She? Who?"

"Mai! Where the hell is she? What does she know about this?" His voice cracked and his body fell into the recliner. "Where the hell is my daughter?"

"Mai's not here, Zuko. And why would she know…?" A moment passed as the situation dawned on him. "It's her friend, isn't it? Is that bitch the one who did this? You know her?"

"Yeah. I do," Zuko rose, "She's my sister." Pacing the floor, yanking at his hair, oblivious to Jet as his friend put two and two together. "why didn't I listen to her? Katara told me to get the bodyguards. She _told_ me. I didn't _listen_ and this is what I get. I thought they'd come after me. I never thought... I didn't want to think… That… that they would take my baby. I messed up bad Jet. Why am I so bad at being good?"

Jet stood beside his friend and gripped the back of his neck. "We'll find her, man. She's my daughter too you know. And I'll be damned if some Nation bitch touches a hair on her head."

The door opened and both men turned to find Mai walk in with a tray of coffee and a bag of pastries. She froze in the doorway the moment she saw Zuko. Unthinking, Zuko rushed, grabbing her arm, shoving her against the wall the liquid pooling around her feet. She should be lucky that Katara wasn't there to use that coffee against Mai. "Where is she?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Zuko."

He lifted his fist, wanting to strike out at her, instead punching the wall. "Please, Mai. I know you know. Please?"

There was a non-verbal showdown between the two, finally Jet playing ref, pulled Zuko away. "Mai? Do you know anything?" Jet asked softly, grabbing her hand in his and giving his winning smile.

Mai never cried. In all the years growing up with her, Zuko had never seen her cry. Until that one single drop ran down her cheek just now. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I tried to stop her. She… She had some men take her-."

"Where, Mai? Where? Tell me." Zuko clenched his eyes tight, unable to fathom the horrible, terrible things he had planned once he got hold of his sister.

"I'm sorry," she sighed after finally disclosing the location, the two men staring at each other.

Azula, of all places, had picked the now defunct building where Zuko first started fighting.

Where it all began.

oooOOOooo

"Use your head, Zuko," Iroh cautioned. The elderly man seemed indifferent about Katara organizing her small arsenal on the dining table.

Zuko simply rolled his eyes, weighing one of the glocks in his hand. "I'm gonna use my head to bash in Azula's."

"Zuko, she has changed. She's not the little girl you remember."

"Yeah, well I remember her taking my stuff and burning them. And so help me if she burns what's taken from me, I'm going to kill her."

Iroh grimaced. He must have remembered all the burnt toys, mutilated dolls, and evil grins. "She'll be waiting for you."

Setting the glock back down, drawing flame to his palm, his anger concentrated into that little ball, he nodded. "I can handle Azula."

A simple, knowing smile passed over his face. "She won't be alone."

Katara beamed, sliding back the mechanism on her favorite pistol. "Neither will Zuko. It'll be my pleasure to show that smug bitch who's the boss."

A chill passed over Zuko. Agni, he loved when she was so confident. He kissed her roughly. "Then let's do this."

oooOOOooo

They rolled up to the abandoned building. The only sign of life were the two black Mercedes in the parking lot and a sliver of light from an open side door. The air was still as though it too sensed the impending battle. Katara was even silent, save for the noise of the zipper being pulled to her neck and boots crunching the debris underfoot. Their eyes met, speaking volumes without saying a word. They were getting their "baby" back. No matter what.

Zuko entered first, his eyes adjusting to the darkness then finding one single light shining down on four bodies. The familiar ring stood in the middle. Stools and buckets scattered about as though left to rot. He was hardly aware of Katara behind him, her shoulder pressed against his own. His ears pricked up listening for his daughter and, thankfully, hearing her humming softly. She sat cross-legged on the floor with someone. Two men stood behind them, one with the small machine gun, ready and waiting; the other appeared to be unarmed. "_Must be a bender_," he thought.

The unarmed man coughed and the other body on the floor turned to look over her shoulder. So seemingly casual she looked over her shoulder at them. Liang looked up too. Her smile so bright as she greeted them, "Hi Daddy! Hi Katara!"

Katara could feel Zuko breath out, hear his intake of breath sated that at least she wasn't hurt. "Give me back my daughter."

That cat-like smile should have unnerved Katara. Instead it made her angry. Katara did not like to be taunted. She felt the air, finding every droplet she could should the pistol tucked in her pants fail her. It seemed as though Zuko was testing the air also. Should they continue? Should they stop?

"In my country, one would exchange pleasantries before getting down to business," she smiled, speaking at first in their native tongue then switching to Earthese. "Have you really become so uncivilized, brother?"

"Civilized people don't kidnap children."

"Perhaps," she threw back, seeming uninterested in the conversation as she gently patted the little girl's head and helped Liang to stand up. "She really is a good kid. She'll be perfect."

It was Katara who asked, "For what?"

"To join us, of course. She is Nation, despite the fact that you bred out an Earth woman," she shuddered at the thought of the mixed heritage. "Regardless for that little indiscretion though, Liang will be coming home with me."

"Like hell she will," Zuko growled, lunging forward. Just as soon as he moved, Azula gently pushed the girl into the bodyguards, the flicker of a spark at her fingertips, daring them to come closer.

"Oh, Zuzu, don't make this harder than it needs to be. I was telling her all about the Fire Nation and what a wonderful place it will be. I think she'd quite enjoy it. Besides," Azula's voice dropped dangerously low, "the Crown needs penance. And it's your life or hers."

Zuko growled again and moved in. Katara could see blackness darken his features. She grabbed at his arm, hissing, "We said we'd do this together."

"This is my fight not yours. I need to do this for myself." He looked so sure of himself. "I want you to get my daughter and get the hell out of here. I don't care what happens to me. I can't lose Liang. Or you."

"Zuko…," her voice trailed and she knew this was a battle she couldn't win. At least in what little time they had. Instead she nodded and agreed. She held out her pistol butt first. It looked so small in his hand. "Take this just in case. I've learned that bending doesn't always work. Let this be my way to help."

He nodded. She nodded back. Harmony in battle. One on offense, the other on defense.

Zuko let a shot of flame release from his palms, aimed at his sister carefully avoiding his daughter. Katara rushed from behind, knocking back the two bodyguards, encasing them fully in ice ignoring them as they gasped for air within. Another fire ball shot out. Then another. As it did, Liang was scooped into Katara's arms, a wall of water creating a barrier between them and Zuko's attacks and Azula's volleys. The front exit was blocked, the back one chained. Even the windows were boarded up. Damn! Katara remembered the layout of the building and holding onto the girl while avoiding the flames, dropped them into the little office. She checked for any injuries and got a toothy grin instead.

"Doin' okay, sweetie?" she asked. Liang nodded wholeheartedly then widened her eyes, "What about my dad?"

Katara could hear the sizzling and sparking, smell the ozone. She knew he could manage. But her thoughts lingered on that smile of his sister's and suddenly she wasn't so sure. There was something off. "I don't know yet. We'll just have to wait and see."

It was all she could do not to go out there and help him. This wasn't the ring and she didn't want to be the spectator. But she had promised.

Palms closed as though in prayer, split the flames diverting them away. It felt so good to be a firebender. He didn't need to hide it. The heat and currents ran through his blood, fueling him with each fireball, fire whip, and blast. From the gleam in his opponent's eyes, she felt the same. Zuko was oblivious to the wood burning around him, to the searing heat, and burning smoke in the small facility. As with the ring, he sought out her weaknesses. Testing her. A sweep with his leg dropped her to her feet only to have her twirl back into the air. Azula propelled herself to the side then let loose fireball after fireball. Zuko absorbed them into his own fire sending them back.

Azula stood opposite him. Her breathing was heavy from the exertion. Apparently she wasn't as fit as he was. "Is that all you got?" Zuko remarked, almost feeling like when they were kids. But this was for real. This was for keeps.

"Oh, I've got more than you know, Zuzu." Her smile widened. Her arms circled, fingers outstretched. He'd seen this before. Once. With Uncle.

Lightening.

Only master firebenders could control it. But her exhaustion made her sloppy. The arcs of light, the crackle of ions, and as she focused, Zuko had one shot before the immenent attack. He breathed, focusing. He could do this. He had to.

Then her eyes flicked to where Katara and Liang hid and the blood rushed from his face. He didn't feel his feet leave the floor. He didn't feel his hands stretch out. All he felt was the surge of electricity course through him.

With a heavy thud, he landed on the cement floor. He watched her face twist into pleasure and turn back to her original target. He tried to rise. _Get up, get up._ That old mantra didn't work this time. He could feel the heaviness underneath him. Using the last bit of strength Zuko pulled Katara's gun from his belt, aimed, and the single shot rang through the air. The next sound was disgustingly wet as the bullet ripped through his sister's shoulder. Her scream echoed in the room fading away as her body went into shock and she slipped into unconciousness. Part of him felt awful, but then he remembered that it was his life or his daughter's. Azula failed to mention option "c": her own life.

His eyes fluttered closed. Was it all over? Is this the end?

oooOOOooo

Katara couldn't believe her eyes. Did that really just happen? Oh, La! Is he still alive?

Making Liang promise she wouldn't leave the safety of the office, she rushed out of the room ignoring the whimpers of the other woman, the heavy smoke, the searing flames.

_Get to Zuko. Get to Zuko_.

The tears clouded her vision. His breathing was labored but stable. Her hand gloved in water that pulled magically from the air pressed against the smoldering flesh of his chest. It had been too long since she had used her powers to heal on this level, a semester or two of med school back in the North had been too uneventful but now she was thankful as she willed the soothing liquid over his body.

"Zuko," the words pouring out, over and over above his limp body, "Please be okay. You stupid… I should have… you should have… why didn't you let me help?"

It was then his eyes slid open. His hand reached up, cupping her chin.

"Thank you," his voice was so far away. She could feel the pain emanating from him. Her tears spilled over lashes and down her cheeks.

"I should be the one thanking you." He painfully sat up with her assistance and embraced her. Pushing aside his hair, Katara searched for the inevitable bruises and burns that fighting caused. Suddenly a little pair of arms embraced both of them and Liang was back.

They were a family again. And they had fought for this little moment of happiness. And nothing would ever tear them apart again.

_.._

_.._

_.._

_oooOOOooo_

Zuko hated hospitals with a passion. The smells, the sounds. It brought back too many unpleasant memories. But this time was different. Like everything that had happened since first meeting Katara this time was happy.

Liang snuggled in beside Uncle Iroh in the faded chairs snoring softly against his round belly. It had been a late night when they arrived fifteen hours ago. Soon enough they could go home.

"Liang," Zuko whispered, rousing his daughter.

She rubbed her eyes and smiled. "Is she okay?"

Zuko smirked, "Of course she is. You ready?" In her exhausted state, Liang rose, gripping her father's hand tight, suddenly very nervous for what was in store in that hospital room.

They walked in. Monitors beeped, IV lines dripped but Katara sitting in that hospital bed, looked pleasantly alert despite her exhaustion.

"Hi Katara," Liang whispered nervously.

"Hey, sweetie," Katara motioned for the little girl to climb in beside her.

"Liang," Zuko began, hand resting on his daughter, "we'd like you to meet your baby brother."

The ten-year-old giggled at the little bundle who yawned loudly at the visitor. She had gotten her wish for the little sibling.

Both parents got their wished for their family. Now they were complete. This was the moment they had fought for.

And nothing would ever tear them apart again.

**THE END**

_What a crazy fun journey this story has been. It started as a insane little idea that bloomed and grew thanks to all those who shared in my insanity. I want to thank each and everyone of you readers for that. Special thanks to those who helped me toss back ideas and reminders to finish this thing (you know who you are!). _

_Viva Zutara!  
_


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